Gujarat ATS busts major arms smuggling racket using fake Uttar Pradesh licenses; 7 arrested
Acting on intelligence inputs, ATS arrested seven accused from Vastral, Meghaninagar, Maninagar, and Adalaj, while two others remain absconding but are expected to be detained soon.
The arrested Sholesinh Sengar, Vedprakash Singh, Mukesh Singh Chauhan, Rajendrasinh Sankhla, Vijaysinh Sengar, Abhishek Trivedi, and Ajay Sengar had procured fake arms licenses by paying varying amounts, enabling them to buy and possess illegal firearms. ATS seized seven weapons, comprising three revolvers with 187 live cartridges and four pistols with 98 cartridges, totaling 285 rounds.
The racket's mastermind, Devkant Pandey of Etah district, UP, orchestrated the creation of bogus arms licenses between 2019 and 2022. Pandey, aided by Rajesh of Etah, Mukesh Singh Chauhan, and Shyamsinh Thakur, fabricated these licenses in exchange for money, fueling illegal arms circulation in Gujarat.
SL Chaudhary, Deputy SP of Gujarat ATS, told the media, "Various individuals paid large sums to obtain bogus arms licenses: Mukesh Singh Chauhan spent Rs 7 lakh, Abhishek Rajdev Rs 5 lakh, Vedprakash Singh Rs 11 lakh, Rajendra Singh Rs 7 lakh, Ajay Singh Sengar Rs 7 lakh, Sholay Singh Sengar Rs 11 lakh, and Vijay Singh Sengar Rs 5.5 lakh. These licenses were issued by the Etah district authority in Uttar Pradesh, yet none of these individuals visited the government office themselves. Instead, they collected the licenses wherever Devkant Pandey directed them.'
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