Ahmedabad, Feb 11 (PTI) A 36-year-old Yemeni national was arrested with parts of AK-47 and other assault rifles, which he allegedly got manufactured from engineering firms in Gujarat, police said on Friday.
Based on a tip-off, the Ahmedabad crime branch nabbed the accused Abdul Aziz Al-Azzani from a hotel on February 9, and seized parts of assault rifles from him, an official said.
The police recovered a gas block, a front sight, a short barrel and some other mechanical parts of various assault rifles, including AK-47, he said.
The crime branch also recovered nearly 150 wax moulds and four dyes from two firms in Kathwada area of the GIDC in Ahmedabad, the official said.
According to the police, Abdul Aziz had planned to send these rifle parts to Yemen, a war-torn country where groups such as the Al-Qaeda and Houthi rebels are fighting against each other.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused, who is a resident of Al-Baidah city in Yemen, works as a labourer and farmer, the official said.
To fulfil the demand for parts of assault rifles in Yemen, one Munir Mohammed had offered commission to Abdul Aziz to acquire these parts from India and send them to Yemen, the crime branch stated in a release.
Abdul Aziz had visited Mumbai in 2018 for his father’s heart operation, and had since visited every year for his father’s check-ups, it said.
As per the deal struck with Munir, Abdul came to Mumbai with his father on November 16 last year, and after a check-up, he sent his father back to Yemen and travelled to Ahmedabad, it was stated.
The accused contacted D K Engineering, a firm in Odhav GIDC area, to prepare dyes for parts, such as a short barrel, front sight and gas block, the release said.
As per the designs and measurements provided by Abdul Aziz, the firm prepared the metal dyes and gave it to him, unaware that the dyes were meant for manufacturing rifle parts, it said.
The accused then contacted two other manufacturing firms in Kathwada GIDC area of Ahmedabad and placed an order to manufacture different parts with the help of the dyes, by informing them that the parts will be used in industrial machinery.
A local court has remanded the accused to police custody for seven days, the official said, adding that a case under the Arms Act has been registered in this regard. PTI PJT PD ARU ARU
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