MEERUT, May 30 -- The Meerut unit of the Special Task Force (STF) arrested a former gun house operator in connection with an ongoing arms smuggling investigation that has already led to the arrest of nine accused. The latest arrest has reportedly uncovered links between the ex-gun dealer and notorious arms smuggler Anil Balyan, alias Bunji. According to STF officials, the accused, identified as Shailendra Singh, a resident of Kankerkhera and former operator of Shiva Gun House, was taken into custody on Thursday after being called in for questioning. Investigators claimed substantial evidence surfaced during the interrogation, leading to his arrest. Assistant superintendent of police (ASP) STF Brijesh Kumar Singh said the case dates back to November 23, 2024, when the STF arrested Rohan, the son of a Uttar Pradesh Police sub-inspector, for allegedly dealing in illegal firearms. During that operation, STF officials recovered 17 illegal guns along with a large quantity of cartridges. Since then, the STF has continued investigating the arms smuggling network. During the probe, the role of Shailendra Singh allegedly emerged through documents and transaction records linked to Shiva Gun House located on PL Sharma Road in Meerut. ASP Singh stated that a total of nine accused have so far been arrested and sent to jail in connection with the case since 2024. Officials said Shailendra Singh was summoned for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation. However, after investigators allegedly found incriminating evidence against him, he was formally arrested. During the investigation, the STF demanded records related to Shiva Gun House. While some documents were reportedly found missing, officials said the available records were sufficient to establish Shailendra Singh's alleged involvement. The STF has recovered a pistol, the gun house stock register, weapons sale register and a copy of a weapon licence from the accused. The investigation further revealed that an illegal pistol had allegedly been fraudulently sold to a man through manipulated records. According to the STF, Shailendra Singh admitted during interrogation that he had purchased the pistol from arms smuggler Anil Bunji. He allegedly entered the weapon in official records under the name of an Army officer before selling it illegally. The STF is now examining whether more illegal firearms were routed through the gun house using forged documentation and fake entries. Further investigation in the case is underway....