YAVATMAL: Seven persons were arrested and 10 country-made pistols were recovered in separate police operations in Yavatmal district, a senior official said Monday.
While nine pistols and 16 cartridges were seized from Pusad town, one pistol and two cartridges were recovered in Yavatmal city, Superintendent of Police M Rajkumar said in a press conference here.
The operations that led to these arrests and seizures were carried out the Anti-Gang Cell of Yavatmal police's Crime Branch, he said.
The SP said that main accused Abhijit alias Pintu Rambhau Jagtap, a resident of Zodgaon village in Barsitakli tehsil of Akola district, procures illegal firearms from Betul in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh and sells them to clients here.
Based on a tip off, a police team led by sub inspector Santosh Manwar laid a trap in Pusad's Umerkhed Road and nabbed Jagtap along with three others Sunday, the SP said.
Nine pistols and 16 cartridges, as well as four bikes, cumulatively worth Rs 7.26 lakh, were recovered from Jagtap, he said.
He identified the other accused as Pusad-residents Jai Keshav Baber (30), Rakesh Sharadsingh Bayas (38) and Leeladhar alias Bablu Vijay Malghane (21).
The four have been remanded in police custody for fours days, he said.
In another raid led by inspector Amol Chaudhari, three persons were arrested with one country-made pistol and two live bullets, all worth Rs 1.
32 lakh, from Yavatmal city, Rajkumar told mediapersons.
Those arrested from Yavatmal city have been identified as Shahejad Khan Shabbir Khan (25), Javed Ahmad Khurshid Ahmad (33) and Azhgar alias Azad Khan Waheed Khan Pathan (30).
They have been sent to police custody for three days.
Cases have been registered under relevant sections of the Arms Act and the Bombay Police Act, the official said.