BHUBANESWAR/PURI: As part of a special drive against the anti-socials ahead of Rath Yatra, Puri police on Friday arrested six persons for their alleged involvement in arms smuggling.
The accused were identified as Ramesh Parida, Babu Das, Rashmi Panda, Harichandan Das, Patita Behera and Chittaranjan Purohit, all from Puri district. Six countrymade pistols and 20 rounds of live ammunition were seized from them.
Following information, a team was formed to track down the accused persons. After months of surveillance and reconnaissance, it was established that Ramesh led the gang.
Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a raid at old deputy accountant general (DAG) office in Puri and nabbed the six along with the arms and ammunition. They were allegedly planning to use the weapons to extort money from the businessmen or commit some other crime before the Rath Yatra, police said.
The arrest comes days after police busted similar rackets in Cuttack and Ganjam districts. Police have launched an investigation to find out from where the six had procured the firearms. Their possible links with the arms dealers at Munger in Bihar is also under verification.
Puri SP Vinit Agarwal said, “The six accused already have cases registered against them. They have been booked under various sections of the BNS, including section 111 for organised crime, as well as the Arms Act. A special drive has been launched to crack down on criminals to ensure the Rath Yatra passes off smoothly.”