Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested three persons and seized three foreign-made illegal firearms along with 45 live cartridges following a trap laid near St. George Hospital on D'Mello Road based on specific intelligence inputs about an arms deal in the city.
According to DCP Crime Branch Raj Tilak Roushan, the Crime Branch had received reliable information that three individuals were arriving in Mumbai carrying weapons with the intention of selling them. Acting on the tip-off, officials laid a trap near St. George Hospital on D'Mello Road and apprehended the suspects.
Police recovered three foreign-made illegal pistols and 45 live cartridges from the accused. Preliminary investigation suggests that the weapons were allegedly brought to Mumbai to be sold.
Officials said all three accused have criminal backgrounds. One of the accused, identified as Arbaaz, is a resident of Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district and has as many as 19 criminal cases registered against him.
The other two accused have been identified as Jashankreet Mangal Singh and Sukhwinder, both residents of Punjab. Police said a murder case had been registered against them in 2022, following which they had allegedly been absconding. Officials said both were allegedly present at the crime scene in the murder case.
Police said further investigation is underway to establish who the weapons were intended to be sold to and the amount involved in the alleged deal. Officials are also probing the supply chain and origin of the firearms.
The accused will be produced before the court and police custody will be sought for further interrogation. A case has been registered at MRA Marg Police Station, while the Crime Branch team is conducting further investigation.
Officials further said all three seized pistols bear a “Made in China” inscription. However, police clarified that the marking alone cannot establish the exact origin of the weapons and further inquiry is underway to ascertain where they were procured from and how they reached Mumbai.
Police said investigations are being carried out from all possible angles, including how the accused entered Mumbai, where the weapons came from and who the intended buyers were.
Officials added that preliminary findings indicate the seized firearms were more sophisticated compared to locally manufactured country-made weapons and were allegedly brought to Mumbai specifically for sale. Further investigation in the case is underway.
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