Gujarat police expose arms licence fraud linked to northeastern states

Rajkot: In a new modus operandi busted by the police, it has been revealed that history-sheeters are obtaining firearms licences by exploiting procedures in northeastern states. In separate cases in Surendranagar and Morbi, the police seized 33 firearms that had licences issued from Manipur and Nagaland.

Police revealed that individuals with criminal backgrounds are not eligible for firearm licences in Gujarat. Yet, during investigations, some were found in possession of weapons with licences issued from these northeastern states. Surendranagar police seized 25 weapons from 17 individuals, while four others were found to have licences despite not possessing any firearms.

The licences were obtained with the help of agents—Mukesh Bharwad, Chella Bharwad, and Vijay Bharwad from Surat, and Shaukat Ali from Haryana. These agents allegedly arranged forged rent agreements and supporting documents to show proof of residence in Manipur and Nagaland, enabling applicants to secure licences without ever visiting those states.

Similarly, Morbi police registered cases against eight individuals and confiscated nine firearms. Meanwhile, a police team has been sent to Nagaland to verify the documents used. DeshGujarat