Balasore: In a major crackdown on illegal arms trade, Balasore police on Wednesday arrested three persons, including a key firearms dealer, for allegedly procuring and selling weapons brought from Bihar and Jharkhand.
The arrests were made in the Remuna area following credible intelligence inputs about anti-social activities in the region.
The accused have been identified as Munna alias Shantanu Das, Amitabh Dwivedi, and Manoj Kumar Bhuyan. Police seized four firearms, magazines, and two live bullets from their possession.
Briefing reporters, Balasore Additional Superintendent of Police Debajyoti Dash said that preliminary investigation revealed that Munna was the mastermind behind the racket.
He was reportedly sourcing firearms from outside Odisha, particularly from Bihar and Jharkhand, and selling them to local buyers involved in anti-social activities around Remuna and nearby areas.
“The investigation is underway to identify others linked to Munna and to ascertain whether the accused were planning any major criminal activities,” ASP Dash said.
Police are now tracing the supply network and verifying the buyers’ backgrounds to determine the scale of the illegal arms trade. The arrested trio was produced before court on Wednesday.
