10 August,2026 07:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
One accused has been arrested so far in the case. Pic/ Mumbai Crime Branch
The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a man allegedly involved in the illegal sale of firearms, seizing two automatic pistols and 10 rounds of ammunition from him in an operation on Monday.
Acting on a tip-off, Unit 7 of the Crime Branch learned that a man had checked into Hotel Ashoka Inn in Asalpha, Ghatkopar (West), specifically to sell firearms and ammunition.
A team laid a trap in the nearby Sakinaka area and nabbed the accused as he arrived at the hotel for the deal, recovering the two pistols and rounds from him on the spot.
A case has been registered at Sakinaka Police Station under relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the accused has been handed over to the Crime Branch for further questioning.
The arrest has since uncovered a darker history. Preliminary investigation revealed the accused is wanted in two separate murder cases registered at Shahpur Police Station in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, both allegedly committed using a firearm.
He also has a case of robbery pending against him at Madanpur Police Station in Maharajganj district, UP.
Investigators are now working to trace the supply chain behind the seized weapons, digging into the accused's firearm purchase-and-sale dealings in Mumbai and identifying others who may be part of a wider arms-trafficking network feeding the city.
One accused has been arrested so far in the case.
In a separate incident last week, Gadchiroli Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recovered a cache of 14 firearms and explosive materials allegedly hidden by Maoists in a forest along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border during a major anti-Naxal operation, officials said on Tuesday.
The successful operation was carried out in the jurisdiction of the newly established Bangadi Police Outpost, marking another significant breakthrough in the state's ongoing anti-Maoist campaign.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, security forces launched a search operation in the Kumnar forest area on July 31 under the supervision of Superintendent of Police M Ramesh.
The operation involved four teams from the Pranhita Special Action Group, a Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), and CRPF personnel.
During the search on August 1, security personnel cordoned off the area before the BDDS conducted an intensive sweep.
According to the police, the teams recovered:
One self-loading rifle (SLR)
One .303 rifle
Seven 12-bore rifles
Three single-shot rifles
Two barrel grenade launchers (BGL)
Three SLR magazines
One Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
Two batteries
Other Maoist-related materials
All the recovered items have been seized.
