New Delhi: A gang blatantly selling weapons online through WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram has been smashed by the Uttar Pradesh police, a Times of India report said. After busting gang, the cops nabbed seven people, which included two buyers. The members of the gang were caught as they were delivering a revolver in Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday, the report said.
Up for sale online were ‘katta’ (country-made pistols) for Rs 4,000-5,000 while an imported revolver was priced at Rs 40,000-50,000, according to the police. Arms were delivered to the specified locations after the payments were done.
Five country-made guns, three imported pistols, around two dozen bullets, a motorcycle, and a car were confiscated from the accused.
‘They have nexus with other gangs in adjoining districts’
Muzaffarnagar SP (city) Satyanarayan Prajapat was quoted as saying to TOI that the arrests were significant in police crackdown on illicit digital weapon networks across the state. Initial investigation indicated that these gang members have connections and nexus with other gangs in adjoining districts, he pointed out, adding that the gang used online social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook to draw buyers. The cop said that after carrying out deal online, the gang would get payment through bank accounts before delivery of the stuff.
Acting on a tiff-off, circle officer (city) Viyom Bindal set up a team and laid a trap on Tuesday. As the suspects arrived to deliver the consignment to two buyers, they were caught red-handed, Prajapat added.
A case was lodged under the Arms Act at Khalapar police station against seven men, including Azam Rizvi and Vivek Nagar, both from Meerut, and Prateek Tyagi, Manish Kumar, Rishabh Prajapati, Vishal, and Pradeep Kumar, all of them hail from Muzaffarnagar. Vishal and Prateek had come to collect the revolver. All seven individuals were subsequently sent behind bars.
During questioning by the police, the accused said that dealing in pistols or bullets online was much safer and did not need much travelling to carry out the deal.
Explaining about their modus operandi, the accused said that they would in the beginning send photographs and details of the required arms. Once the deal was final, they would have the payment transferred to their bank accounts before delivering the consignment. Sources suggested that the gang had been functioning for a “long time” and were already on the radar of the police.
