The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai Crime Branch carried out a major operation in the Sewri area on Friday, recovering four pistols and 18 live cartridges. The unit also arrested five men who had allegedly brought the weapons to the city to sell them.
The arrested accused have been identified as Bhaiyu Khare, Dashrath Baroliya, Sultan Baroliya, Dharmendra Bhati, and Gaurav Devda. According to Crime Branch officials, all five hail from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and had travelled to Mumbai with the intention of selling firearms. Police said that three of the accused have criminal records.
The accused will be produced before the Esplanade Court on Saturday, where the Crime Branch will seek their custody for further interrogation. An officer said that preliminary investigation has not found any direct links between the accused and organised crime gangs, though this angle is being closely examined. Initial findings suggest that the men came to Mumbai solely to sell the weapons. The action is being viewed as significant, especially as Mumbai Police remains on heightened alert following the recent blast in Delhi.
According to Crime Branch sources, the operation was initiated after Anti-Extortion Cell officer Arun Thorat received intelligence inputs suggesting that a group was arriving in Mumbai with illegal weapons for sale. Acting on the information, a team laid a trap near Sewri railway station, where the suspects were detained based on suspicion. A search led to the recovery of the pistols and cartridges, following which all five were arrested. Further investigation in the case is underway.