India, April 30 -- The Special Cell of Delhi Police has dismantled an international arms trafficking syndicate operating across north India, arresting nine key operatives and recovering a large cache of illegal weapons and ammunition. Acting on a tip-off, investigators uncovered a network allegedly run by fugitive Shahbaz Ansari and his uncle Rehan Ansari, with suspected cross-border links. The syndicate is believed to have supplied sophisticated firearms across Delhi-NCR and parts of Uttar Pradesh. During coordinated operations carried out over a fortnight in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, police recovered 23 firearms, including several foreign-made semi-automatic pistols, along with 92 live cartridges, magazines and weapon repair equipment. Officials said the group sourced weapons from across the border, routing them into India via the Nepal corridor before distributing them to criminal networks. Also Read - Temp drops, clean air, rain, extreme heat The operation was led by a Special Cell team under Inspector Sunil Teotia, supervised by ACP Kailash Singh Bisht, following sustained intelligence inputs and technical surveillance. The crackdown began on April 14 with the arrest of a 22-year-old suspect in Usmanpur, from whom a pistol and ammunition were recovered. His interrogation led to further arrests across locations including Shastri Park, Khurja, Loni and Jaunpur. A major breakthrough came on April 20 with the arrest of a key supplier in Jaunpur, leading to the seizure of 12 semi-automatic pistols and a substantial quantity of ammunition. Investigations revealed a structured hierarchy within the syndicate, with Shahbaz Ansari acting as the main handler and Rehan Ansari overseeing logistics, finances and communication. Other members functioned as couriers, distributors and local facilitators. Police said the group relied on encrypted communication platforms and a decentralised network to evade law enforcement agencies. The weapons were supplied to various criminal groups, raising concerns over their potential use in serious offences. Further investigation is underway to trace the syndicate's full international links.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.