Noida: Three men arrested for dealing in illegal weapons, 10 pistols recovered

“We had received inputs that some persons were in possession of a large amount of weapons and were planning to set-up a base in a different district. The Crime Branch had information that the accused will be crossing Noida. During checking, we identified the accused. They tried to flee but after a chase, were cornered and arrested,” Abhishek, DCP Crime, Gautam Buddh Nagar, said.

Police added that Aftab and Saghir ran a jewellery shop while Shakeel worked in a pipe store. The three accused had been running operations in Ghaziabad for the past decade. The accused had allegedly been manufacturing country-made pistols based on models of imported handguns. The three had an established network of clients and would sell a gun for up to Rs 1 lakh, the police informed.

Police said they have recovered 10 pistols, 80 cartridges and more than 20 units of raw material used for manufacturing the guns. The accused have served prison time earlier in Delhi for illegal trade of weapons, Noida Police said. Another accused, who was helping them shift to Meerut, is currently absconding.