Major arms haul in Aarey Colony

Addressing media persons today, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) D Shivanandan said that with the two recent seizures, this is the biggest seizure of arms and ammunition since 1993 in one case. He said that he will recommend the government to reward Rs 2.5 lakhs to the entire team.

The duo were nabbed red-handedafter a white Fiat Car (MRH 240), in which the two men were travelling, was intercepted near Cotton Green fire brigade. The weapons were concealed in the booth of the vehicle. The weapons seized on November 16 included 7 AK 56 assault rifles, 200 rounds of live AK 56 cartridges, 47 hand grenades and 42 magazines.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the seized arms were a part of the consignment which landed at Shekadi and Dighi port in Raigad district on February 7 and March 5 prior to the serial bomb blasts that rocked the city on March 12, 1993. Though the enforcement agencies had earlier seized some weapons from the nearby villages, huge quantity of arms are still believed to remaining in the area, according to the police. The seizure was effected under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh, ACP Pradeep Sawant, Senior Inspector Abdul Rauf, Police Inspector Vashisht Andhale, Assistant Police Inspectors Ravindranath Angre and Mangesh Pote.

Initially, the policethought it was fresh consignment. But, the connection between 1993 landing was confirmed when they discovered the same ARGES-69 marking on them.

Moreover, some of the manufacturing signs have been chiselled out as in the case of the earlier consignment smuggled by Dawood Ibrahim from Dubai. The total number of arms, ammunition and explosives from the accused in two seizures in this case so far are, 10 AK-56 rifles, 110 hand grenades, 3,330 rounds of ammunition and 51 magazines.