Delhi Police have apprehended two individuals connected to a vast international arms smuggling operation with suspected ties to terrorist activities, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat transnational crime and maintain national security.
Delhi Police has arrested two key operatives of a transnational arms trafficking and terror module with alleged foreign links, an official said on Monday.
"Provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) have been invoked in the case based on the nature of the conspiracy and its potential implications for national security," the officer said.
The accused, Imran, 37, and Mohammad Kamran, 27, were detained at the IGI Airport following the issuance of look-out circulars and subsequently arrested in connection with an ongoing probe into an international arms smuggling racket, he said.
Police said the case pertains to a larger module allegedly operated by fugitive accused Shahbaz Ansari, with links extending across multiple countries.
With the latest arrests, a total of 12 accused have been apprehended so far, and 23 sophisticated foreign-made firearms, along with 211 live cartridges, have been recovered in the case.
"During interrogation, the accused disclosed their role in receiving illegal arms consignments routed through Nepal and supplying them to criminal networks in Delhi-NCR and other parts of the country," the officer said.
They transported weapons in dismantled form to evade detection and later reassembled them before distribution, he added.
On their instance, police recovered two weapons, along with 11 live cartridges. A car fitted with specially designed concealed cavities used for transporting arms was also seized from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, the syndicate operated through a structured cross-border network involving procurement, transit and distribution channels, and funds generated from arms trafficking were allegedly used to support terror-related activities. Further investigation is underway.