In a major crackdown on illegal arms smuggling, the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested a man from the Khar West area and recovered a country-made pistol along with live cartridges from his possession. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused had arrived in Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh with the intention of selling weapons.
This is the second major arms recovery in the city within a week. Earlier, police had seized six firearms and 21 live cartridges from the Paydhonie area, raising concerns among security agencies over the increasing instances of illegal arms circulation.
According to police officials, the Unit 9 of the Crime Branch received a tip-off on the evening of April 22 about a person who would be arriving in the Carter Road area of Khar West with illegal weapons. Acting on the information, a special team was formed under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Sachin Puranik. The team included Sub-Inspector Snehal Tamgawe, Sub-Inspector Santosh Kakde, and other officers.
The team laid a trap near Rizvi College and began surveillance. Around 6:55 pm, a suspicious person matching the informant’s description was spotted in the area. He was swiftly apprehended by the police team.
During interrogation, the accused identified himself as Afroz Gulzar Kazi (44), a native of Uttar Pradesh who had been staying in the Bandra area for the past few days. A search of his belongings led to the recovery of a country-made steel pistol, valued at approximately ₹25,000, from a bag tied around his waist. Additionally, two live cartridges marked “7.65” were also seized.
The accused failed to produce any valid licence for the weapon. During preliminary questioning, he admitted that he had brought the firearm to Mumbai for sale but did not disclose the identity of the prospective buyer.
Police are now investigating how the weapon was transported from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai and whether an organised gang is involved in the illegal arms supply network.
A case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act, and further investigation is underway.