Jharsuguda: In a major crackdown under its flagship surveillance drive ‘Operation Netra’, Jharsuguda district police have busted an organised illegal arms syndicate operating in Brajrajnagar and arrested three persons, including a key arms dealer, officials said on Tuesday.
Acting on specific intelligence, a police team intercepted the accused while they were allegedly planning to execute violent crimes linked to past enmity. The operation led to the seizure of five country-made 7.65 mm pistols, 20 rounds of live ammunition, and a motorcycle used for transporting the weapons.
The accused have been identified as Santosh Khedkar (36), Bishal Bag (30), and Banty Prasad (34), the latter believed to be the main supplier procuring firearms from Bihar’s Saran and Vaishali districts for distribution in Jharsuguda.
Police said the accused were carrying loaded weapons concealed in their waistbands at the time of interception. Each firearm was reportedly being traded at around ₹50,000.
Investigations revealed that Prasad sourced the weapons and supplied them to local operatives Khedkar and Bag, who allegedly intended to use them for criminal activities. The syndicate used a motorcycle to discreetly transport arms across locations.
Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra termed the operation a “significant breakthrough”, noting that the accused have extensive criminal antecedents involving serious offences such as robbery, attempt to murder, dacoity preparation, assault, and multiple Arms Act violations.
“Their activities posed a serious threat to public peace and safety. The bust has effectively disrupted an interstate illegal arms supply chain entering the district,” he said.
Police have intensified efforts to trace backward and forward linkages of the network, identify other associates, and examine their involvement in pending criminal cases. Further arrests and seizures are likely, officials added.
