U.P. STF busts illegal arms racket, two arrested

The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police has arrested two accused involved in trafficking firearms from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh.

The operation, conducted by the STF field unit in Meerut, led to the arrest of Gurvinder Jeet Singh and Sejhpal Singh, both residents of Punjab. Bills and gun licences linked to illegal transactions were recovered from the two, said superintendent of police (SP), STF Meerut unit, Brijesh Kumar Singh.

The STF had been tracking the activities of organised arms traffickers operating in western Uttar Pradesh. The investigation was intensified following the arrest of Rohan, a resident of Baghpat, on November 23, 2024. Then, the authorities had seized five SBBL (12 bore) guns, 12 DBBL (12 bore) guns and 700 rounds of .315 caliber ammunition.

Subsequently, on December 20, 2024, the STF arrested Anil Balyan, a prime suspect in the arms smuggling network. During his arrest, police recovered an illegal .30 bore rifle, a .30 bore carbine, a .12 bore pistol, and 15 rounds of ammunition.

Following his arrest, the case was investigated and shifted to STF headquarters. During further investigation, Anil Balyan confessed to his involvement in illegal weapons’ smuggling and provided details regarding his connections with organised crime networks.

Following revelations during questioning, a country-made firearm of .45 bore and two rounds of ammunition were also recovered on February 2.

Further investigations revealed that the illegal firearms were being procured using fraudulent licences. Gurvinder Jeet Singh, the owner of Dhan Baba Deep Singh Gun House in Taran Taran district, Punjab, was found to be a key supplier. Sejhpal Singh is a close associate of Gurvinder. The duo had been involved in trafficking of illegal weapons.

“Sejhpal Singh’s father, Awatar Singh, also had a gun shop licence. He is currently lodged in jail. Awatar is a member of Sarmukh Gang involved in supply of drugs from Pakistan to Punjab,” the SP said.