Bhubaneswar: The Special Crime Unit (SCU) of the Commissionerate Police on Saturday arrested two suspected members of an inter-state trafficking network and seized a substantial cache of weapons.
Police said the seized weapons included a carbine and more than ten semi-automatic pistols. They also recovered ammunition, a vehicle and several mobile phones. The two arrested accused are residents of Angul and Dhenkanal districts. Police said the arrested persons are suspected to be middlemen within a larger interstate supply chain, with the weapons reportedly sourced from manufacturers in Bihar.
Investigators are also examining the customer base in Odisha and the identity of key operators behind procurement and distribution.
Commissioner of Police S. Dev Datta Singh said the force has been systematically targeting inter-district and interstate gun-running gangs. “The Commissionerate Police has intensified its drive against inter-district and intra-state gangs to break the supply chain. We have achieved considerable success and these illegal firearms were seized,” Singh said.
A total of 11 firearms, including two 9 mm pistols, eight 7.65 mm pistols and a carbine were seized, along with a vehicle and 12 mm live ammunition.
He said the arrested accused, Sumant Nayak, who has six cases against him, and Soubhagya Nayak, who has four, were intercepted on the National Highway while travelling towards Berhampur.
With the latest operation, the number of weapons seized in recent months has risen to 33, marking a significant breakthrough in the fight against illegal firearm arms business.
