A major arms racket was today busted by Uttar Pradesh STF when it arrested five security personnel and a retired sub-inspector for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to criminal gangs and possibly Naxals. The arrests,including that of two CRPF jawans,were made on the basis of inputs that after the Dantewada Naxal attack,in which 76 security personnel were killed,a large quantity of cartridges were being smuggled out of the CRPF group centre at Rampur via a source in Allahabad. A team of special task force carried out raids in Moradabad,Rampur and Jhansi in UP and arrested Vinod Paswan and Dinesh Singh of the CRPF last night,ADG (Law and Order) Brij Lal said in Lucknow. However,he said he cannot confirm right now whether Naxal groups were beneficiaries. Investigations are on,he added. Besides,a constable armourer in Moradabad Police Academy and a retired sub inspector armourer of 36 Battalion PAC,who is said to be the kingpin,were also arrested along with two policemen in Jhansi today,he said. Over 5,000 live cartridges,16 magazines of INSAS rifles,.25 bore guns,SLR and AK-47s were recovered besides 245 kg of empty shells,Lal said. Going by the size of recovery,it is clear that the weapons were being supplied to some big organisation which could even be a Naxal outfit. Further details will be known only after completion of the investigations, he said.
