Police seizes six semi-automatic pistols in Bhubaneswar; one held

Bhubaneswar, Jan 16 (PTI) Police have seized six semi-automatic pistols from a person here during an operation conducted in the early hours of Friday, a police officer said.

Acting on a tip-off, the special crime unit of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissionerate conducted the raid in Chandaka police station area around 2 am on Friday and confiscated six semi-automatic pistols along with 10 rounds of live ammunition, said Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh.

The police have arrested an accused person Manoj Kumar Mallick of Jajpur district, for his alleged involvement in illegal firearm trade, he said.

"Our drive to crack down on illegal firearms trade is underway. During the last six months, we have seized 34 firearms," he said.

Due to continuous seizure of firearms, firing incidents in the twin cities have been almost stopped, Singh added.

"The confiscation of a significant cache of weapons and the apprehension of key suspects mark important progress in our ongoing efforts to protect the community. We remain resolute in our mission to dismantle criminal networks and hold perpetrators accountable," said another police officer. Further investigation continues to trace the supply chain, uncover financial backers, and identify any broader networks involved, the officer said. PTI BBM BBM RG