Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an international arms trafficking network operating from the Walled City, arresting ten operatives and seizing 21 sophisticated firearms along with 200 live cartridges. The haul includes a Czech-made submachine gun and several semi-automatic pistols from global manufacturers such as Beretta, Walther, Taurus, and CZ. Investigators also recovered a PX-5.7 pistol, a high-end weapon typically associated with elite forces, raising concerns about the network’s reach and intent. The operation, led by DCP Sanjeev Yadav, exposed a well-organised smuggling route spanning Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. According to police, weapons were trafficked from Pakistan, routed through the porous Indo-Nepal border, and brought into Delhi’s Walled City, which served as the central distribution hub. From here, the network supplied arms to criminal gangs across Delhi-NCR and other states, effectively acting as a bridge between international suppliers and domestic organised crime groups. Officials said the crackdown has dealt a significant blow to organised crime in northern India by disrupting a key supply chain of high-grade weapons. Investigators are now probing the financial links of the arrested accused to identify the masterminds behind the operation and trace the end-users of the smuggled arms. Authorities are also on alert for possible sleeper cells connected to the network. The arrested accused are currently being interrogated to map the full extent of the racket.
