Pratapgarh: The Pratapgarh police on Friday arrested two active arms smugglers and seized six illegal firearms along with a car, ammunition and magazines. The operation was conducted following precise intelligence from surveillance and informants by the Mandhata police station and the special anti-theft squad under the supervision of superintendent of police, Deepak Bhukar.The arrested individuals include 30-year-old Shahbaz, son of Sharif, a cross-district arms smuggler from Dhema village, Mandhata, and 55-year-old Anil Mishra, son of Ramdular Mishra, a local smuggler from Pure Torai village, Jethwara. During the raid near the Hansi Jaichand Yadav basti intersection, police intercepted a white Brezza car (UP70 HU4553) driven by Shahbaz. The police seized one .32 bore pistol, one .32 bore revolver, four 315 bore pistols, two magazines and eight live cartridges. Additional items seized included two Android mobile phones and cash.The operation uncovered that each of the seized firearms could be sold for Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 in the illegal market, highlighting the serious threat posed by arms trafficking to public safety. The vehicle used by the suspects has been seized under section 207 of the Motor Vehicles Act.Following the arrests, the police registered a case under sections 3/5/25 of the Arms Act at Mandhata police station against Shahbaz and Anil Mishra. Further legal proceedings are underway. The police team responsible for the operation was commended, and Bhukar announced a cash reward of Rs25,000 for their prompt action.
