Cops arrest Virar resident, seize guns, ammunition

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Monday arrested a man who was found to be in possession of three illegal weapons and ammunition. The police said that as he was smuggling three weapons at a time, the possibility of the weapons being used for a big crime could not be ruled out.

According to Crime Branch officers, the accused, Shahrukh Sheikh (20) is a Virar resident and the police are trying to find out if he has a past criminal record.Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sadanand Date said that the accused was arrested by officers of the Crime Branch Unit XI, who Monday received a tip-off that Sheikh would be coming to the Ambedkar Road in Kandivali with illegal weapons on his person. Accordingly, the police laid a trap in the area. Sheikh showed up late Monday afternoon and was stopped by the officers. A search of his bag revealed a revolver, two pistols and six rounds of live ammunition.The police then placed Sheikh under arrest and charged him under the Arms Act. He will be produced in court on Tuesday.

“The fact that he was carrying three weapons plus ammunition is suggestive of a crime like a robbery or a similar crime being planned. Weapons are usually ordered in bulk for such crimes. We are interrogating Sheikh further to check if this was the case, and are also trying to trace the source of the weapons,” said a senior Crime Branch officer.