6 held for smuggling arms from rifle unit to Maoists

Kolkata: In a major breakthrough in its probe in the case of arms smuggling from the Rifle Factory Ishapore, the special task force (STF) of the Kolkata police arrested six persons, including two officers of the RFI which is under the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). It found that the six accused were involved in smuggling different components of firearms from the RFI to the the Maoists in Bihar.

The alleged involvement of the two RFI officers has raised security concerns since the OFB which falls under the defence ministry manufactures various arms and ammunitions for the Indian armed forces, central para-military forces and state police forces also. This was also the second time an RFI officer was arrested for allegedly smuggling parts of SLRs and INSAS rifles.

In September last year, the STF arrested a junior works manager: Shambhu Bhattacharya (49) apart from two others.

This time the six accused are Ajay Pandey, alias Guddu Patel, and Jayshankar Pandey, arms smugglers from Bihar, Umesh Ray and Kartick Sau, two contract labourers of the RFI in North 24 Parganas and two junior works managers of RFI: Sukhda Murmu, alias Munmun, and Sushanta Basu.

On Sunday evening, Ajay and Jayshankar came to Babughat off river Hooghly, according to sources adding that Umesh and Kartick went there to hand over a consignment to them.

The STF caught them red-handed and recovered the consignment which included seven 0.37 mm revolvers and a carbine which have been allegedly manufactured by the RFI.

Ten rounds of cartridges and two magazines for the carbine were also in the consignment. Interrogating the four accused, the STF found the names of the two RFI officers. An STF team raided their residences in the city early Monday and arrested the duo. Deputy commissioner of police (STF) Murlidhar Sharma said, “We received information from sources that some people may come to Babughat for arms dealing.”

He elaborated, “Our team was carrying out a surveillance there. The arms and ammunitions were seized from them. They admitted that they used to smuggle out the scrap materials of the arms from the RFI with the help of some employees who work on the basis of commission. Ajay confessed that he had been doing the job since 2008. He and Jayshankar admitted to smuggling out 16 INSAS rifles and four SLRs in between 2013 and 2018 to sell them to the Maoists in Bihar.”

According to the STF, the accused took Rs 5,000 for each revolver, but they charged anywhere around Rs 3-4 lakh for each INSAS and SLR. The six were produced at the Bankshal court which remanded them in police custody till May 19. In the evening, OFB spokesperson Uddipan Mukherjee said, “Neither RFI nor OFB has been intimated by the police till now. We are waiting for their official confirmation. However, the OFB will take action as and when necessary.”

OFB sources indicated that each OFB factory has own extensive security aparatus headed by a security officer in the rank of a lieutenant colonel or colonel from the Indian Army who reports to the general manager of the factory. Each security officer has a team of around 100 Defence Service Corps jawans who are posted for security at the establishment.