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Massive arms haul in Delhi

The Delhi police seized 41 revolvers and pistols with Pakistani markings in Rohini area of north-west Delhi. It was allegedly meant for distribution in Uttar Pradesh to disrupt elections there, Delhi police Commissioner T R Kakkar said today.

Two people have been arrested and a massive search is on for a third suspect, believed to be Pakistani national.

The commissioner said, acting on a tip-off, two people, Islam and Ashok Kumar, were intercepted while they were transporting the consignment by motorcycle.

''We have information that the weapons were to be sent to Uttar Pradesh for use during the elections. The delivery was to take place in Rohini,'' Kakkar said.

The weapons included 30 pistols of .30 and .32 calibre and 11 revolvers of .32 calibre and 16 spare magazines and seven cartridges.

Although the weapons bore Pakistani markings, Kakkar said it must have originated in some other country since the Pakistani markings appeared superimposed.

He said he suspected the involvement of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and that it was not a simple case of smuggling. Pakistan has not stopped sending arms into India, he said, clarifying that no link could be established between the arms seizure and the recent blasts in the capital.

During interrogation, Islam and Ashok Kumar revealed that the weapons were sent by one Tariq, a known Pakistani smuggler, at the behest of the ISI. They claimed the ISI was also forcing Pakistani smugglers to send consignments of drugs into India along with weapons.

Police parties have also been sent to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to apprehend other associates of the duo.

Kakkar said Islam, a resident of Shamli in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, had been involved in gun-running for the last several years and had been arrested by the Delhi police in 1996. Four pistols with eight magazines were recovered from Islam then, he said. Islam apparently met Ashok Kumar in jail and persuaded him to help him transport small arms for the ISI.

During one of his three visits to Pakistan Islam had met Amjad Syed and Rizwan, who are now in Tihar jail. They gave him a mobile phone and sent him to Delhi to contact Pakistani agent Bobby to organise the delivery of the weapons consignment. Bobby delivered the arms all right, but the duo were caught when transporting it to its final destination.

UNI

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