Weapon smugglers use code language to push firearms

Illegal arm dealers prefer to sell their weapons in Mumbai. Now they have resorted to use code language for the fear of being intercepted by the police.

As per the intelligence input early this year, “the illegal arm dealers are pushing a large consignment of mauser pistol in the city.” After which all the police stations of Mumbai have been alerted to keep an eye on arm dealers.

“Most of the illegal arm dealers are based in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. They have been pushing the deadly weapons and live cartridges in the city using code languages,” said a crime branch official.

The codes have been set in the name of common birds and household items. “The kattas are now called ‘kauwa’ (crow) and live cartridges are called as ‘chana’ (chickpeas) apart from the commonly used word in the underworld for a firearm – ghoda (horse). A rifle is called 'jhadu' (broom) and a sten gun as 'file',” said the officer.

The dealers of illegal firearms call desi katta as kauwa because it being black in colour and makes loud sound each time it is fired. The rifle is called jhadu because of its length and sten gun is called ‘file’ because it can load several cartridges simultaneously.

The price varies with the quality of firearms and live cartridges. For instance, the price of a desi katta is ranges between Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000.