Powai Police have achieved a major breakthrough by arresting a 23-year-old arms trafficker from Haryana and seizing illegal firearms and ammunition from his possession. The accused has been identified as Pradeep Santosh Singh, a resident of Gurugram, Haryana.
The action was carried out under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade and under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Jitendra Sonavane. The operation was executed by a team led by Police Inspector (Crime) Sushant Bandgar.
According to police, Sub-Inspector Ganesh Avhad received a tip-off that a man would arrive in the Powai Lake area late at night with the intention of selling unlicensed weapons. Acting on the information, the police laid a trap and apprehended the accused at around 1 am.
During the search, police recovered two country-made pistols and six live cartridges from the accused. The seized weapons are estimated to be worth approximately Rs 1.12 lakh. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had brought the illegal firearms from another state to sell them in Mumbai.
A case has been registered under Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act, along with Sections 37(1)(a) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act. The accused was produced before a court, which granted police custody remand.
Police are now probing who had placed the order for the weapons, the intended purpose, and the network of contacts involved in the racket. Further investigation is underway.