Chennai: In a joint operation, the city police and organised crime intelligence unit on Sunday busted a gun running racket, which was supplying weapons to the those in need of them in the city. The police team seized a .22 mm pistol, priced Rs 2 lakh, from the gang.
Police later identified the arrested as Mohan Raj, Rajesh Kumar and Sabarirajan hailing from Cuddallore and Nagapatinam.
Three bullets were also seized from them. According to city police sources, they had 'procured' the gun from one Arif of Nagapatinam and were on the way to sell to a customer in Chennai.
OCIU sleuths came to know about their plan and had set a trap for the gang on Sunday morning at the Koyambedu bus stand.
“A policeman in civil clothes posing as the buyer of the gun approached the gang. After confirming that the gang was in possession of the weapon, he nabbed them with the help of local police. In the process a man named Murugan managed to escape,” the police noted.
The arrested were working as contract workers in the city, police added. Police are now on the lookout for Arif and Murugan.
“Arif has a criminal history while the arrested trio was coming to the notice of the police for the first time,” a source added.
Though it is a country made gun, the weapon had a very good finish and almost looked like a company made one. The police believe that it could be originally from a north Indian state where gun making is like a cottage industry, the source added.
“We will have to question them in detail to know if they had already sold such guns to people in Chennai earlier. We don't think this was their first attempt to sell gun in the city,” he said.
