Uttarakhand: Interstate arms trafficker held with 5 guns, 40 cartridges

Dehradun, Dec 7 (PTI) A notorious interstate arms smuggler was arrested during a joint operation by Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) and the police in Udham Singh Nagar district, and five guns and 40 live cartridges were recovered from his possession, an official said on Sunday.

According to the police, Mohammad Asim (32) was directly involved in the 2016 Nabha Jail breakout in Punjab and served six-and-a-half years in Central Jail Patiala for providing ammunition to the assailants.

On November 27, 2016, 10-15 armed men, disguised as police officers, stormed the Nabha Jail in Patiala and opened fire at security personnel, facilitating the escape of six notorious criminals.

Asim -- resident of Dhansara village in Bajpur, Udham Singh Nagar district -- was arrested on Saturday from Rudrapur in the district based on inputs from an informant, and four .32-bore automatic pistols and magazines, and a .12-bore Indian Ordnance double-barrel gun were recovered from his possession, a senior officer said.

Additionally, thirty .12-bore and ten .32-bore cartridges were seized and a motorcycle allegedly used for arms smuggling was impounded, he said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that he ran a firearms store -- registered under his brother's name -- in Bajpur, police said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had raided the shop in 2023 for allegedly supplying weapons and ammunition to gangsters, they added.

The accused is currently being interrogated by the STF at Rudrapur police station to uncover interstate links, and trace other members involved in the arms smuggling network, police said. PTI DPT MPL ARB ARB