UP-MP cops to cooperate in busting smuggling gang

LUCKNOW: Following the arrest of two persons for arms smuggling in Mathura on Wednesday, the state police have launched a manhunt for the gang supplying pistols to criminal gangs in West UP. The Anti Terror Squad (ATS) that made the arrests recovered five pistols manufactured in Madhya Pradesh from the duo. UP police have also alerted their counterparts in Madhya Pradesh about the activities of the gang and soon, a joint operation would be launched to bust the gang involved in manufacture and supply of country made pistols. IG (law and order) A Satish Ganesh said the ATS team nabbed Akhil Kumar, resident of Gonda and Shishupal from Hathras in Sadar Bazar area of Mathura. During interrogation, they told police that the pistols were manufactured in Nagdhiri village in Budhanpur area of Madhya Pradesh. Both worked as couriers of the gang and had visited Mathura to supply weapons earlier as well, he said. The pistols are of good quality and are sold at Rs10,000 per piece, Ganesh said, adding that the money is transferred into the account of manufacturers before delivery. However, he clarified that till now there was no evidence to suggest that the arms were being supplied to terrorists. Mungeri pistols, made in the eponymous district of Bihar are in huge demand among criminal gangs.