Two persons have been arrested after a U.S.-made grenade launcher was seized, police said on Wednesday
Dilip Singh and Rupesh Kumar were nabbed on Tuesday night following a tip-off. Police found the launcher, meant to be supplied to Maoists, in a car near the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra. “The two admitted that the launcher was meant to be supplied to the Maoist organisation, the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI). This type was first used by the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war. It has a range of 150-350 metres in a radius of 200 ft. It can fire up to five to seven grenades in one minute,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar.
“It uses the most common grenade round of modern militaries, the 40 mm fragmentation grenade, effective against a wide range of targets, including infantry and lightly-armoured vehicles,” he said.
Investigations revealed that a Rs.10 lakh-deal was struck with the Maoists for the launcher, but the identity of the other party has not been disclosed.
Police expect further arrests as the probe continues.
The launchers are thought to have been brought over from Bihar.
Last week, the State police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), in a joint operation, recovered four rocket launchers from the Auria jungle of Latehar district.
