LUCKNOW, Sept. 16 -- An interstate illegal arms network busted by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) in Gorakhpur has allegedly thrown up links with the Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara gangs, officials said on Tuesday. The STF arrested five alleged members of the network late Monday and recovered four .32-bore pistols, a .32-bore revolver and five live cartridges. The agency said the gang's connections were being probed. According to the STF, Shashank Pandey, described as an associate and alleged mentor of key accused Shreyansh Yadav alias Bablu, had previously been jailed in Punjab for allegedly supplying firearms to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The agency also claimed that Shreyansh had links with Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara, both associated with the Bishnoi crime network. However, the STF said the nature and extent of these links were still being verified. The investigation indicates that the alleged arms operation extended beyond Gorakhpur. The STF said Shreyansh and his associates procured firearms from Sendhwa in Madhya Pradesh and Sonipat in Haryana and supplied them through local contacts in Gorakhpur and neighbouring districts. The agency said the group had used Instagram to sell or arrange the supply of 100-150 illegal pistols in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Its alleged network covered Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Deoria and Sant Kabir Nagar. The STF is also examining the possible use of weapons supplied through the network in earlier crimes. It alleged that a firearm used in the Raj Kumar Chauhan murder case in Gorakhnath had been procured through the group. Pistols recovered in separate arms cases in Khalilabad and Campierganj were also allegedly traced to the network. Shreyansh, the STF said, has previously faced arms-trafficking cases in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. In a 2025 Mumbai case, he and associates were allegedly arrested with seven pistols and 21 cartridges. The other arrested accused are Ajit Yadav, Abhishek Gaur alias Bheli, Abhishek Prajapati alias Abhi and Rahul Gupta....