VARANASI, Oct. 2 -- Ghazipur police arrested three alleged arms smugglers near the Kaithwali Culvert under the Kotwali police station area on Thursday, officials said. The operation resulted in the seizure of 39 illegal firearms and ammunition. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ratan Vishwakarma, 19, Ravi Kumar, 19, and Abhishek Kumar, 20. Ghazipur superintendent of police (SP) Iraj Raja stated that the arrests followed a tip-off received around 1:45 am, indicating that smugglers were present near the Kaithwali Culvert with a two-wheeler, preparing to deliver a large cache of illegal weapons. A police team, led by crime inspector Devendra Kumar Mishra, was immediately dispatched to the location. Upon noticing the police, the suspects attempted to flee on a motorcycle but were surrounded and apprehended at the scene. During a subsequent search, officers recovered a significant stockpile of arms and ammunition from the accused which include 1.32 bore pistols, 9mm pistol, .315 bore country-made pistols, .32 bore live cartridges, etc. Police also seized three mobile phones, Rs.900 in cash and a motorcycle used by the suspects. Preliminary questioning revealed that the accused were allegedly involved in smuggling weapons procured from the Khandwa and Burhanpur regions of Madhya Pradesh. The SP stated that the suspects have provided leads regarding other individuals involved in the racket. "Independent verification of these facts and a detailed investigation are currently underway," said the SP....