Thane: Firearms seized, 19-year-old Aurangabad man arrested in Mumbra

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Police in Thane's Mumbra seized two country-made pistols, a revolver and three live cartridges from the possession of a 19-year-old man on Tuesday.

The accused has been identified as Rakesh Mehta who hails from Aurangabad and was currently living in Sonarpada area of Dombivli in the district, newswire PTI reported quoting an official. Mehta was searched by a police team on Sunday night near the Mumbra railway station.

Police are probing from where he procured the arms and the purpose behind the acquisition, he said. The accused was booked under relevant provisions of the Arms Act and Maharashtra Police Act.

Last week, Mumbai police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted a raid on a guest house in Borivli East on Sunday, leading to the discovery of weapons and the arrest of six men who were allegedly planning heists in Mumbai.

According to ATS sources, officers in Juhu received a tip-off regarding a group of men staying at the Ellora Guest House for the past two days and planning criminal activities. Officers believed that the men were armed and dangerous.

On Sunday morning, the ATS raided the guest house, resulting in the arrest of the individuals. The accused were residing in two different rooms at the Ellora Guest House located at MG Road, Borivli East.

"During a search of their rooms, we discovered three pistols (one foreign-made, one Indian-made, and one desi katta), four magazines, 29 live bullets, and knives. Additionally, an SUV with a Delhi licence plate was found parked at the guest house," said an officer from ATS.

The arrested men include Shahadat Hussain alias Kallu Rehmat Hussain, residing in the Jama Masjid area in Delhi. He has previously served time for murder in Uttar Pradesh. Accused Aslam Sbabbir Ali Khan from Ghaziabad was previously arrested in a murder case and has chain-snatching cases registered against him. Accused Nadeem Yunus Ansari from the Jama Masjid area in Delhi was previously involved in a dacoity and arrested by Delhi police. Accused Rizwan Abdul Lateef from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, is a known robber with prior cases against him. Accused Naushad Anwar from Uttar Pradesh, came to Mumbai for reconnaissance as he is familiar with the city. Accused Adil Khan from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh brought the SUV.

"We believe that the six men gathered to plan a heist or dacoity in Mumbai and were specifically targeting jewellery shops. The six were handed over to the Kasturba Marg police for further investigation," the ATS officer added.

"The six were arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 499 (preparation of dacoity) and the Arms Act. They will be produced before the court on Monday," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone XII) Smita Patil.

"The arrested accused are residents of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Further investigation has revealed that some of them have serious criminal cases registered against them. The concerned police station has obtained information on their criminal records," Patil added. (With inputs from agencies)