New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) An illegal arms and fake currency smuggling cartel that utilised coded messaging on social media platforms to coordinate operations has been busted and five of its members, including a former railway employee, were arrested, a police official said on Friday.
He said the cartel sourced illegal firearms from Madhya Pradesh and counterfeit currency from Siwan in Bihar, and distributed them across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
Ten pistols, 68 cartridges, fake currency worth Rs 4.10 lakh in Rs 500 denomination, and three vehicles, including a bulletproof SUV, were recovered from their possession, the official said.
In a statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik said, “The accused have been identified as Ravi Thakur (35), Yogesh Phogat (28), Meera (27), Kuldeep alias Chhotu (33), and Samsu Khan alias Rehan (27). Samsu Khan was the mastermind, and Kuldeep used to work in Group D services of the Indian Railways in Ambala Cantonment.” The DCP said Ravi was the first to be arrested. He was caught with five pistols and 10 cartridges near a transit point in Delhi on July 6. An auto driver from Mathura, Ravi began supplying weapons for Rs 5,000 per firearm after getting acquainted with some handlers of arms supply chains in Madhya Pradesh.
His interrogation led to the arrest of Yogesh, who allegedly financed weapons purchases and stored them in his car. One pistol was recovered from his vehicle.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Kuldeep, who was found with another illegal pistol and 35 cartridges.
“In 2014, Kuldeep was selected for Group D services of Indian Railways. However, a case was registered in 2019-20, after a quarrel took place between him and one Narwal over financial matters. After this incident, Kuldeep did not join duty. He remained absent since 2022 and lived at his native place,” DCP Kaushik added.
During his stay in his native village, Kuldeep began supplying illegal arms to gangs after procuring them from Yogesh and some others. “In 2022, he purchased an SUV and modified to make it bullet proof. In January 2023, he was caught twice while supplying illegal arms in Sonipat. After being released from jail, he resumed the arms smuggling,” Kaushik said.
On July 24, Meera, a key member of the supply chain, was arrested from Mathura. Five cartridges were recovered from her residence.
“Meera, estranged from her husband, became involved in smuggling through her acquaintance with Samsu Khan. She operated from Mathura and supplied weapons to Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Mumbai,” the DCP added.
The following day, acting on Meera’s inputs, police arrested the alleged kingpin, Samsu Khan from Firozabad. A raid at his residence led to the recovery of three pistols, 28 live cartridges, and Rs 4.10 lakh in fake Rs 500 notes.
Samsu was wanted in a 2024 arms case filed by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad. He was operating from Hooghly in West Bengal and coordinated supplies using digital communication. He also allegedly sourced fake currency from Siwan.
Further investigation is underway to apprehend more members of the cartel and trace the full supply chain of illegal arms and fake currency, the DCP added. PTI SSJ SSJ SHS RUK RUK
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