Delhi Police Arrest Arms Smuggler on NH 48 Along Delhi-Gurugram Highway, 10 Weapons Seized
The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a 33-year-old interstate arms smuggler and recovered 10 illegal firearms from his possession near Shankar Vihar Bus Stand on NH 48 along the Delhi-Gurugram highway.
The accused has been identified as Prem Singh Rathod, a resident of Nepanagar in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh. Police apprehended him on August 8 after receiving specific intelligence that he was transporting a significant consignment of illicit weapons into Delhi.
A police team led by Inspector Manender Singh, functioning under the supervision of ACP Puran Chandra Pant, set up a trap near the Shankar Vihar Bus Stand on the highway corridor. Rathod was intercepted at approximately 10:30 am, and a subsequent search led to the recovery of the concealed weapons cache.
The seized cache comprises one 9mm Zigana pistol, four 7.65mm semi-automatic pistols, and five single-shot .315 bore pistols.
According to the Special Cell, further investigation into the operation exposed an expansive arms smuggling syndicate functioning across Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
Investigators stated that the illicit network was run out of Burhanpur, where firearms were procured from local gunsmiths. Carriers were subsequently deployed to transport the weapons to Delhi-NCR and deliver them to criminal gangs and unauthorized buyers.
During interrogation, Rathod reportedly disclosed that he had worked as an arms carrier for the syndicate for roughly one year. He regularly collected consignments in Madhya Pradesh and delivered them to designated gang operatives and buyers across various states. Before joining the smuggling network, Rathod worked as a small-scale farmer in his native village. He has two children and completed education up to the primary level.
A case under the Arms Act has been registered at the Special Cell police station. Police teams are continuing their investigation to trace the syndicate kingpin and arrest other individuals connected with the interstate weapon trafficking network.
