SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Anekal: Police have arrested seven persons in connection with an alleged country-made pistol sales racket operating in and around Anekal and seized five firearms and 10 live rounds. The accused have been booked under KCOCA, while police are searching for the suspected mastermind, identified as Dawood.
The arrests followed a patrol operation during which police noticed a person carrying a bag and behaving suspiciously. When the man allegedly tried to flee after seeing the police, officers caught him and checked the bag. The search reportedly led to the recovery of three country-made pistols and ammunition.
The arrested persons include Pradeep Ramesh, a native of Jabalpur district in Madhya Pradesh; Bengaluru resident Kulla Rizwan; Manoj from Geretiganabele near Anekal; and Venkataraju, Shivaraj, Nanjappa and Gopi.
According to the police investigation, Dawood allegedly arranged the supply of firearms to Anekal through Pradeep. Police suspect the weapons were transported by train before being delivered to prospective buyers.
Investigators subsequently questioned Pradeep and allegedly gathered information about two more suspected buyers, Kulla Rizwan and Manoj. Police teams detained both and reportedly recovered one country-made pistol from each of them.
The case is being investigated under the supervision of Anekal Sub-Divisional Deputy Superintendent of Police Gopal Naik. More than 10 persons who allegedly had connections with the arrested suspects have reportedly been questioned.
Police are investigating the source of the firearms, the financial transactions involved and the identity of other potential buyers. Officers are also trying to establish whether the alleged network supplied weapons to criminal groups in Anekal and surrounding areas.
The invocation of KCOCA against all seven accused indicates that investigators are examining the case from the organised-crime angle. The alleged kingpin Dawood remains absconding, and police teams are continuing efforts to trace him.
SOURCE : SIASAT
