Bhubaneswar: Ganjam Police have arrested five persons in two separate cases during a special drive against illegal arms trade and organised criminal activities, recovering illegal firearms, ammunition and magazines from the accused, the Odisha Police State Headquarters said on Wednesday.
According to an official press note, four accused were arrested in connection with Bhanjanagar Police Station Case No. 643/2026. The arrested persons have been identified as Anil Kumar Swain, Pintu Sethi, Subash Chandra Padhi and Balakrishna Bisoyi. They have been forwarded to court.
Police seized one 9 mm pistol, one magazine, two live bullets and one country-made firearm from their possession. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were allegedly threatening local residents with firearms and forcibly extorting money.
In another operation under Kodala Police Station Case No. 346/2026, police arrested 21-year-old Om Swain of Fasi village and forwarded him to court. A country-made firearm and three live bullets were recovered from his possession.
The Odisha Police said the operations were part of an ongoing special drive against illegal arms trade and organised crime in Ganjam district. It added that the campaign would be further intensified in the coming days and stringent legal action would continue against those involved in unlawful activities.
