The Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police on Sunday night seized six pistols and one 9 mm carbine in two operations and arrested three persons.
“Mahesh Thakur, 26, and Vikas Dubey, 19 were caught with the carbine and four pistols at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus here. The carbine seems to be made in Nepal,” said Himanshu Roy, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime). Both were weapons suppliers from Uttar Pradesh. “Our primary investigation revealed that the weapons were ordered by a gang to be used against a person of another gang. Investigation is on and we will not disclose any names today [Monday],” he said. A carbine cost around Rs. 2 lakh and a pistol around Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000, he noted.
Another weapons supplier, Suraj Premchand Rai, 24, was caught by the Crime Branch in Kandivli with two 7.65 mm pistols and two live rounds. He was returning from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.
“Gangs have been recruiting youngsters for delivering weapons by paying them few thousands of rupees. These are hired hands and not gang members,” said Mr. Roy.
All three weapon suppliers have been sent to police custody till June 14.
