Gujarat: Over 65 arrested in two weeks for procuring firearms on fake licenses from North Eastern states

Ahmedabad: In the past fortnight, more than 65 people have been arrested from different parts of Gujarat for possessing arms and ammunition based on licenses allegedly procured fraudulently from northeastern states of Manipur and Nagaland.

While some of the suspects have been booked and arrested for violating arms act by Surat and Surendranagar police, Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has busted a "larger conspiracy" behind the scam being operated primarily by two gun houses located in Nuh in Haryana and Surat in Gujarat.

The ATS alone has arrested more than 40 persons so far. The numbers are likely to increase as the investigation progresses.

Initially, 21 persons were arrested by Surendranagar police and 25 guns were seized from them. Similarly in Surat, police arrested five persons and seized 20 guns and 93 cartridges from their possession. It was revealed that Gajanan Gun House in Surat, owned by Atul Patel, who is alleged to be one of the two masterminds in the case, allegedly supplied 51 weapons on fake licences.

ATS has also arrested the gang’s second alleged mastermind Saukat Ali Chotukhan from Nagaland, originally a resident of Nuh. He is accused of making fake licenses for the past six years for residents of Gujarat. So far, ATS has seized 29 revolvers and 934 cartridges.

Officials said that since obtaining a firearm license in Gujarat is "controlled" and chances of rejection is high, the gang offered people easy way to get license. They forged documents to create license and supplied arms and ammunition as a "package".

None of the 65-odd persons arrested so far ever went to Manipur or Nagaland physically but got license from those states.

"The gang charged anything from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. They offered packages that included license, arms and ammunition," SL Chaudhary, deputy superintendent of police, ATS, told DH.

ATS officials said that primary investigation has traced such licenses procured from two districts of Manipur- Imphal and Tamenglong, and Dimapur in the neighbouring Nagaland.

In Manipur, the suspects took advantage of a computerised system that requires submission of documents online. Sources said that the gang allegedly used scanned signature of the collector to get the approval.

An order uploaded on the official website of Tamenglong district states that collector L Angshim Dangshawa on April 11 cancelled 33 licences following the information provided by the ATS and a report of a fact-finding committee.

The order states that no documents such as rent agreements for address proof, character and antecedent certificates with the concerned police, among others were found during the inquiry suggesting the licenses were obtained fraudulently.

The Nagaland authorities are yet to furnish records to Gujarat police. Sources said most of the licenses have been issued from Dimapur but due to administrative changes after 2016, the old records were not readily available. Prima facie, fraud is said to have been committed during the renewal of old licenses.

Many of the accused, who obtained fraudulent licenses and firearms, have criminal antecedents of being involved in cases like attempt to murder, bootlegging, running illegal call centres, anti-social activities (PASA), illegal mining, among others.

Officials admit that these are not "hardened criminals" but bought the license and guns to flaunt in their circles. "A revolver or a pistol slung on the waist is considered a status symbol, particularly in Saurashtra region and that is quite prevalent in a particular community. Majority of the arrested people are from that community," a police source said.