RTI reveals large number of couriers arrested with illegal arms in Mumbai
21 May, 2013The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has shown that the Mumbai Police arrested 271 men acting as couriers to deliver arms and ammunitions to the gangsters in a period of ten years. The data provided in the reply also shows that 294 illegal firearms and 1,682 live cartridges were seized from these couriers between January 2012 and January 2013.
The reply states that the firearms varied from highly sophisticated ones to country-made revolvers. It also stated that in January 2013 maximum number of arrests (67) has been made and 504 cartridges have been seized.
According to a senior police officer, the prices of the weapons ranged from Rs. 5,000 for country made pistols to over 1 lakh for branded pistols. However, another officer told that the increase in seizure was because of stern action against private security agencies for keeping unlicensed guns for guards. The Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) stated that the police are trying to keep a track of manufacture of illegal firearms and their parts.