One held for purchasing, possessing illegal arms

Navi Mumbai Crime Branch officials have arrested one person and are on the lookout for another for alleged purchase and possession of illegal arms and weapons. The arrested accused is allegedly a repeat offender who has previous cases like burgling an ATM kiosk and house burglaries registered against him.

The Navi Mumbai police had recently started coming down strictly on those who sold and bought illegal arms and ammunition. The officials of Unit 2 had recently received a tip that a repeat offender was arriving in the city to buy some weapons from near Khandeshwar railway station.

Based on this tip, the police laid a trap and arrested an accused identified as Anil Chouhan (20) a resident of Mankhurd in Mandala area of the city. “We seized one revolver, six country guns and five live rounds from the accused. The total worth of the arms and ammunition is Rs 77,500,” said an officer.

Officials said that the accused had purchased the weapons from a man identified as Armaan. “The man he purchased it from is a resident of Uttar Pradesh. We have a team looking for him,” said the officer.

Sources add that Armaan is also wanted in certain cases in the city and that Chouhan has previously committed several crimes.

“He is wanted for stealing money by breaking into an ATM kiosk, theft and house burglaries. He was also previously arrested for drug possession and booked under the NDPS act,” said an officer. Officials informed Chouhan was planning a house break in the area. They are trying to find if there are any other accused that Chouhan worked with. “We are also trying to determine who he was going to meet at Khandeshwar station and who was going to supply him the arms,” said an officer.

Crime Branch Unit 2 conducted the operation, under the supervision of Senior PI N.B. Kolhatkar along with PSI Baban Jagtap, SPI Subhash Poojari and other officers. The arrested accused has been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and remanded to custody.