Delhi Police recover over 800 firearms in five months

NEW DELHI: In the first five months of 2020, Delhi Police have recovered over 800 firearms in the Capital and the Delhi Police Commissioner has directed all Deputy Commissioners of Police to design concrete strategies to ensure a deterrent effect on criminals looking to move firearms in their respective areas.

As per the data (till last week of May), as many as 736 firearms were recovered by 15 districts and three units under the Arms Act and 140 firearms were recovered under sections of the IPC and CRPC, leading to a total of 876 firearm seizures during this time.

Just three Delhi Police units had recovered 337 firearms (217, 102,18) till last week of May. One of the districts has recovered 82 firearms in the current year whereas another district has recovered 76 firearms.

These firearms were recovered during patrolling and picket checking. According to data, last year more than 1,700 firearms were recovered.

Investigators in Delhi Police said that during the starting period of lockdown, they had seen a decrease in the supply of weapons.

“Manufacturing of illicit weapons were going on in other states but there was no way of supply in Delhi-ncr during the first two lockdowns,” one investigator said.

According to the official, as movements were allowed, these traffickers found loopholes in the system and started supplying drugs, weapons through trucks.

“Traffickers started misusing free interstate movement of essential services vehicles for the trafficking,” he said. There are inputs that these traffickers may plan to settle arms makers in NCR region so that if any lockdown happens they can easily procure weapons by entering NCR regions.

“During the lockdown, the arms trafficking chain was broken so they want to keep arms makers in areas where they can easily reach,” the official further said. Semi-automatic pistol of .32 bore, country-made pistols, were in demand during the lockdown.

According to a Delhi Police press statement, they have intensified motorcycle patrolling, foot patrolling and bicycle patrolling to improve policing in congested localities.

“Integrated pickets of PCR, traffic and local police have been placed at vulnerable points after analyzing the crime pattern of the area. The staff deployed on integrated pickets were briefed to check the vehicles under the Roko Toko scheme”, the statement read.