The Thane police is further investigating whether firearms were smuggled earlier also in Maharashtra from other states and used in crimes
Representational Pic
The Thane Police in Maharashtra have seized 17 country-made pistols, 12 live cartridges and 31 magazines from two men hailing from Madhya Pradesh, a senior officer told the PTI on Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
The accused duo was arrested on June 1. They hail from Burhanpur, according to the PTI.
"Police have stepped up vigil in view of the rise in the incidents of the use of firearms in crime in Thane, Mumbai, and Navi Mumbai over the last few months. Police had received information that these illegal weapons were supplied from some areas in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shivraj Patil, as per the PTI.
A team of Thane police, comprising officials of the property cell, arrested two men on June 1 and seized three country-made pistols, six magazines, and four cartridges from them.
The duo led the police to Pachore-Dhunki area on the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, where 14 more pistols, 25 magazines and 8 live cartridges were seized, the police officer said.
Police are investigating whether firearms were smuggled earlier also in Maharashtra from other states and used in crimes.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police had last month said that the DN Nagar Police in Andheri nabbed two people for allegedly being in possession of two firearms and live cartridges. The duo were held after the police received a tip-off regarding the two suspicious men reaching the guns in Andheri area of Mumbai, the police said on May 29.
According to the police, after the police officials of DN Nagar Police got information regarding the suspects, a special team of police officials was formed to trace and nab the suspects. The team of police officials while working on the information found that the suspects were to reach near a bank at Juhu-Versova Link Road in Andheri (west).
"A trap was laid by the team of police officials and the two suspects were nabbed. The police officials checked them and found as many as two firearms which were country-made weapons. The suspects also had two live cartridges with them. The weapon and bullets were seized by the police and both the suspects were taken into custody," an official had said.
(with PTI inputs)