Gujarat ATS busts fake arms licence racket with links to Uttar Pradesh, 7 held

In a major crackdown on an organised arms racket, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has busted a module operating across state lines, involving the procurement of firearms through forged licences issued in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh. Seven individuals from Gujarat have been arrested and a cache of arms and ammunition recovered in what police describe as a meticulously planned operation aided by intermediaries in UP.

Acting on specific intelligence received by Deputy Superintendent of Police S L Chaudhary, the ATS launched an investigation into a group suspected of obtaining weapons using bogus arms licences. The suspects identified as Mukesh Sinh Chauhan, Abhishek Trivedi, Vedprakash Singh, Rajendra Sinh Sankhala, Ajay Sinh Sengar, Sholesinh Sengar, and Vijay Sinh Sengar allegedly worked in collusion with intermediaries based in Etah, including Shyam Singh alias Raju and Shyamsingh Thakur.

The group is accused of paying large sums to an agent named Devkant Pandey to obtain counterfeit arms licences from Etah between 2019 and 2022. These licences were then used to purchase weapons, not only for themselves but also for other associates in Gujarat.

Following orders from senior officers, a ATS team conducted a thorough probe, leading to the recovery of seven firearms comprising three revolvers and four pistols along with 285 rounds of live ammunition during raids across Gujarat.

The accused have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act, sections.

Preliminary interrogation has revealed that none of the accused had ever visited Etah or had any legitimate business or residence at the addresses listed on their licences. Further, they had not appeared before the District Magistrate of Etah, nor had they signed acquisition entries in any authorised gun house register.

In a further development, two more individuals Shyamsingh Thakur (49), originally from Aliganj in Etah but residing in Ahmedabad, and Himmatsinh Kamalakarsinh Rajput (31), a resident of Ahmedabad with roots in Prayagraj have been arrested and are currently being interrogated in connection with the racket.

A senior ATS official stated, “This is a serious breach of arms regulation with national security implications. Our investigation is ongoing, and we are probing deeper into the network of individuals who may have benefitted from similar bogus licences.”

Sources said that the operation may be part of a larger interstate network engaged in the illegal procurement and distribution of arms under the guise of lawful documentation. More arrests are expected in the coming days.