Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), July 29: On Monday, Commissioner of Police Sanjeeb Panda announced that a special squad of the Commissionerate Police has dismantled an illegal firearms supply syndicate and arrested six individuals.
The suspects are Rasmi Ranjan Swain (35) from Marsagahi in Kendrapada, Utkal Kesari Khuntia (33) from Patakura in Kendrapada, Krushna Chandra Jena (26) and Chiranjibi Jena (25) from Niali in Cuttack, and Mohamad Samser (34) and Sk Ajharuddin (21) from Jatni in Khurda. They were apprehended in Bhubaneswar and Jatni.
Swain has been identified as the leader of the syndicate. According to CP Panda, the group imported illegal firearms from Munger in Bihar and distributed them across Odisha. Their criminal activities included extortion, creating unrest in the sand business, cattle trading, and illegal mining.
The police recovered five firearms—three 7.65 mm semi-automatic pistols, one six-round revolver, and one single-shot firearm—along with nine rounds of live ammunition and two motorcycles from the suspects.
The arrested individuals have been charged under Sections 308(3)/308(4)/308(5)/131/351 of the BNS and Sections 25/27/35 of the Arms Act. Some members of the syndicate have previous records involving murder and kidnapping.
The gang operated across the districts of Cuttack, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapada, selling firearms at prices ranging from Rs 45,000 to Rs 60,000, depending on quality. The police have identified other members of the gang and are in the process of making additional arrests.
