The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Jharkhand Police has apprehended two individuals linked to an alleged interstate arms supply network in Deoghar. A sophisticated firearm was recovered from their possession.
Arrests and Recoveries
On April 23, an ATS team from Ranchi, supported by local police, arrested Ajit Kumar Pandey, also known as Ajit Kumar Mishra, from the Nandan Pahar locality under Town police station limits. Following his disclosure, co-accused Pankaj Kumar Singh was arrested from Kunda police station limits.
During subsequent raids, authorities recovered a US-made pistol, a country-made gun, and seven cartridges. An FIR was registered by the ATS with the Town police station. The FIR stated that the weapons were intended for criminal activities.
Interstate Network Under Investigation
An ATS official revealed that the accused confessed to procuring illegal arms from Munger and Jamui in Bihar and supplying them across Deoghar and adjoining districts. They named suppliers Parvez from Munger and Sonu Kumar Singh from Jamui, indicating a wider interstate network under investigation.
Police confirmed that both arrested individuals have prior criminal records. Ajit has five previous cases registered against him, while Pankaj faces four cases, including charges related to murder and extortion across multiple districts such as Deoghar, Dumka in Jharkhand, and Jamui and Munger districts in Bihar.
Ongoing Investigation
Deoghar Superintendent of Police Praveen Pushkar stated, 'Efforts are underway to arrest the Bihar-based suppliers whose names were revealed during the interrogation.' He added that the police will seek remand of the accused for further interrogation.
