Three arms traffickers held in separate encounter in UP's Meerut

Meerut (UP), Sep 5 (PTI) In a breakthrough under the ongoing 'Operation Shastra' against organised crime, police here on Friday arrested three alleged arms traffickers, including the kingpin, who were part of a network that supplied weapons on demand.

The arrests followed two separate encounters in which two of the accused were injured, police said.

Those arrested include history-sheeter and gang leader Johnny alias Shokendra Bhati, who heads the D-97 gang, besides his associates.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rakesh Kumar Mishra said the joint operation was carried out by SWAT-I, Mavana police and Hastinapur police in the early hours of Friday.

Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted a suspicious WagonR car near a canal road. When police singnalled them to stop, the occupants opened fire, leading to an exchange in which one accused, Guddu alias Yudhishthir, was injured while two others were overpowered.

"Interrogation revealed that the gang operated a weapon supply network on demand. The same gang had supplied firearms to Manish, who was arrested during an encounter in Karkhoda police station area earlier on Friday," Mishra told PTI.

Later, Johnny was taken to Saifpur for weapon recovery, where he allegedly opened fire on police. In retaliatory firing, he too was injured. Police seized three pistols, two country-made guns, 14 live cartridges, two used cartridges and impounded the car.

According to officials, Johnny has more than 14 cases against him, including those of murder, loot and under the Gangsters Act. The other arrested accused also face multiple criminal cases. PTI COR KIS APL OZ OZ