A 23-year-old man from Meerut, who was working in Haryana as an agent for a popular food delivery app, was caught by police in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar disctrict, carrying a cache of illegal firearms.
Authorities recovered 10 country-made pistols along with ammunition hidden inside his delivery bag.
Police acted on a tip-off and stopped the suspect near the Jamalpur canal culvert in Ramraj area, where he was trying to evade them on a motorcycle. Upon searching, officers found the weapons and cartridges.
Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar Verma said the man, identified as Sudhanshu Kumar, had been using his job as a delivery agent as a front to smuggle illegal firearms across several states, including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. He has a criminal history and has five criminal cases registered against him, police said.
During questioning, Sudhanshu disclosed the involvement of six others in the illegal arms trade. Police have formed a special unit to track down and arrest these suspects.
The gang reportedly supplied weapons to different regions, with a notable demand in Meerut. Legal action has been initiated under the Arms Act, and efforts continue to uncover the source and buyers of the weapons.
(With inputs from PTI)