Another fake arms license racket surfaces
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 17: Maharashtra police along with Military Intelligence and Army have arrested nine persons hailing from the border district of Rajouri for taking up jobs as security guards in different cities in Maharashtra and carrying weapons with fake licenses. Nine 12-bore rifles and 58 bullets have been recovered from their possession.
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The arrests were made during a joint operation of Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) police in Maharashtra, Southern Command and Military Intelligence on the basis of tip off that some persons from Rajouri district in the Jammu region have managed to secure jobs on the basis of fake licenses that could pose security risk.
However, as per preliminary investigations by the police, no terror angle has surfaced so far.
Sher Ahmed Ghulam Hasan of Kalakote in Rajouri district has turned out to be the main suspect and facilitator of fake arms license racket, as per the reports received here by the police from their Maharashtra counterparts. He provided fake licenses and rifles procured from Jammu and Kashmir to individuals seeking jobs as security guards, for Rs 50,000 each, the reports said.
Investigators said they were yet to confirm the arrested men’s involvement in alleged anti-national activities or links with any terror organization but added that they are probing all possible angles.
“The matter is serious, since the weapons and cartridges are from J&K. We need to investigate the exact source of the firearms and its customer base in Maharashtra. We have not yet found any substantial lead to confirm the nine men were involved in the weapons business, but cannot rule out the possibility,” the officials were quoted as having said in Maharashtra.
Though the Maharashtra police have earlier found illegal arms supply from Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, this is the first time that another route and UT has cropped up in investigations which is infested by the militancy, the reports said.
“We need to find out whether it is a well-established network or a rudimentary one to earn easy money,” police authorities in Ahilyanagar said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Shabbir Mohammad Gujjar (38) from Dalori; currently residing at Ganesh Tamping, Nagapur, Ahilyanagar; Mohammad Salim alias Saleem Gul (32) from Laha, Thannamandi, currently residing at Ganesh Tamping, Nagapur, Ahilyanagar; Mohammad Safraz (24) from Kotiyan, Kalakote; currently residing at Kohinoor Ginning, Ghogargaon, Ahilyanagar; Jahangir Zakir (28) from Adgi/Dangri; currently residing at Ganesh Tamping, Nagapur, Ahilyanagar; Shahbaz Ahmed (33) from Kotiyan, Kalakot; currently residing near Merchant Bank, Shrigonda, Ahilyanagar; Surjeet Rameshchandra Singh from Sialsui; currently residing near Merchant Bank, Sonai, Nevasa, Ahilyanagar; Abdul Rashid Chidiya (38), from Som, Kalakote, currently residing at a branch of Merchant Bank in Pune; Tufail Ahmed from Modhla, Kalakote, currently residing at PDC Bank Branch, Market Yard, Swargate, Pune; and Sher Ahmed Ghulam Hassan, also from Rajouri, currently residing in Pune.
Sources said Maharashtra police have dispatched letters to Jammu and Kashmir authorities to check the authenticity of the weapon licences and raids were carried out after confirmation was received that they were fake.
These persons were working as security guards in Shrigonda in Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune etc.
A case was registered at Tofkhana police station under Arms Act and further probe into the racket is underway.
Earlier also, a number of fake arms licenses made in Jammu and Kashmir were recovered by different security agencies in different States including Rajasthan involving some senior officers.
The case was being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI).
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