Huge arms haul, 2 held

MUMBAI, Nov 16: A huge consignment of arms and ammunition, comprising several AK-56 assault rifles and hand grenades of Pakistani make, was ...

MUMBAI, Nov 16: A huge consignment of arms and ammunition, comprising several AK-56 assault rifles and hand grenades of Pakistani make, was seized at Cotton Green in central Mumbai this afternoon. Police believe the seized arms are a part of the consignment that had landed at Shekadi and Dighi ports in Raigad district just days before the March 12, 8217;93 serial bomb blasts.

The arms seized today were hidden in the boot of a white Fiat car MRH 240 that was intercepted by a Crime Branch squad on the Dock Yard road near the Cotton Green fire brigade station. The two occupants of the car 8211; Naibuddin Sheikh 24 and Mohammed Sharif 26 8211; were arrested.

Police believe them to be members of the Dubai-based Khalid Pehelwan gang. Joint Commissioner of Police crime D Sivanandhan said the Crime Branch squad was acting on a tip off that some gangsters were to exchange a consignment of arms and explosives in the area.

The arms seized include seven AK 56 assault rifles, 200 live rounds, 47-hand grenades and 42empty magazines. Though the police initially thought it was a fresh consignment, the connection with 1993 landing of arms was confirmed when they discovered that the weapons were of the same make as those used in the serial blasts. Some of the manufacturing signs on arms have been removed, just as was done with the material used in the serial blasts.

Though police had seized some weapons from the villages surrounding Shekadi and Dighi ports soon after the serial blasts, huge quantities of arms are still believed to be floating around in the area.

Today8217;s seizure was effected under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh, ACP Pradeep Sawant, Sr Inspector Prabhakar Babar, Abdul Rauf, Dilip Sawant and Jagdish More.

At a press conference later in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde congratulated Mumbai police for the seizure. 8220;I had directed the Mumbai police to arrest absconding criminals and recover unauthorised weapons from the city8217;s hideouts. The entire police forcehas been galvanised into action. I congratulate them for today8217;s operation.8221;

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He added that he had a talk with Union Home Minister L K Advani today about extradition of Dawood Ibrahim8217;s brother and a dreaded gangster Anees Ibrahim, who was arrested by Dubai police on Saturday.

8220;I told him that the Mumbai police wanted Anees in several cases and requested him to coordinate with Dubai in this matter. I have faxed the details of cases against Anees to union home secretary B P Singh. It is expected that the home ministry will now coordinate with the external affairs ministry in this matter,8221; he added.