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Bidar: Bidar police have arrested two men for allegedly attempting to sell illegal country-made pistols, live ammunition and other weapons procured from Maharashtra’s Nanded district.

The accused were caught during a special operation based on credible intelligence, and arms worth Rs 6.73 lakh were seized from their possession.

Addressing mediapersons on Thursday, July 16, Bidar Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gunti said the accused had brought the weapons to Bidar to sell them at a higher price after purchasing them at lower rates from illegal arms dealers in Nanded.

The arrested accused have been identified as Amanjot Singh Ranjit Singh, 21, and Venkatesh Tukaram, 21, both residents of Bidar. Acting on a tip-off that two persons were attempting to sell country-made pistols while waiting on a Pulsar motorcycle near the Ring Road close to Jnanasudha School, a special police team conducted a raid and apprehended them.

During the operation, police seized five country-made pistols valued at Rs 3.50 lakh, 26 live cartridges worth Rs 2.60 lakh, 10 empty cartridge cases, five swords valued at Rs 13,000 and the motorcycle used for transporting the weapons, worth Rs 50,000. The total value of the seized property is estimated at Rs 6.73 lakh.

According to the SP, preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had purchased the weapons from two alleged illegal arms dealers in Nanded, identified as Balbir Singh Pratap Singh,23, and Navjot Singh Inder Singh, 24. The accused reportedly confessed that they intended to sell the weapons to a prospective buyer in Bidar for a substantial profit.

Police said the intended buyer is also being questioned as part of the investigation to determine whether the weapons were meant for criminal activities or illegal trafficking.

A case has been registered at the Bidar Sub-Urban Police Station under relevant provisions of the Arms Act against all four accused, including the two alleged suppliers from Nanded. The arrested duo has been produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.

The police have launched further investigations to trace the source of the illegal firearms network and ascertain whether the accused are linked to a larger inter-state arms smuggling racket operating between Maharashtra and Karnataka.