Date:29/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/29/stories/2008102955331300.htm

National

International arms trader nabbed in Cuttack

Correspondent

CUTTACK: Cuttack police made a major breakthrough in illegal arms and ammunition trade in the city when they took into custody an international arms trader from Bihar on remand.

The city police brought Biswajit Kumar Shaw alias Gunjan (29) of Munger here on Monday for further questioning. Gunjan, who operates a network of arms trade in several parts of the country; including Orissa was arrested by Bihar police. Speaking to reporters here, the city DCP A.N. Sinha said Gunjan, a native of Belang Bazaar of Munger is brought on a 15-days remand by the city police as he was the mastermind in supplying illegal arms to city.

The city police had earlier this month arrested at least three Bihari gunrunners, including a woman, from a city lodge here who were introduced to the Orissa market by Gunjan, Sinha said.

Police had seized 17 guns and 90 live cartridges of different makes from the gunrunners.

“On the basis of information provided these arrested persons, Gunjan was brought on remand”, said Mangalabag police inspector P.K. Jena.

Jena said Gunjan has been remanded to judicial custody from where he would be brought again for further quizzing. Preliminary investigations revealed that Gunjan is in this illegal trade for the past one decade.

He had been supplying arms to the Orissa criminals for last eight years. He had visited Cuttack, Bhubaneswar several times and his clients include some dreaded criminals of the State, Jena disclosed. “He was initially selling a mauser (sophisticated pistol) for some Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 45,000 to the Orissa clients. Subsequently, the rate decreased as few others entered into the trade and the market became competitive”, Jena said.