Bhubaneswar, April 2: In a significant crackdown, the Special Crime Unit of the Commissionerate Police has arrested an alleged arms dealer in Bhubaneswar, busting an illegal arms trade racket operating from the Sundarpada area, officials said on Thursday.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, police conducted a raid at Talasahi in Sundarpada and apprehended the accused, identified as Amaresh Rout alias Kanha. During the operation, officials seized two semi-automatic pistols, 10 rounds of live ammunition, and two magazines. The motorcycle allegedly used for transporting the illegal firearms was also confiscated.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Manas Kumar Swain confirmed that the accused had been under surveillance for some time following credible inputs about his involvement in illegal arms trading activities in the city.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Rout had earlier been arrested in connection with the high-profile Jharaphul murder case by Kuakhia Police and was out on bail. Police suspect he resumed illegal activities after his release.
Officials have indicated the possible involvement of an inter-state syndicate. Efforts are underway to trace the origin of the weapons and identify other members of the network, with more arrests likely.
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