New Delhi: Based on a complaint written by an anonymous citizen, Karamana Police on Wednesday, September 1, apprehended five Kashmiri youths from Thiruvananthapuram for owning illegal arms and ammunition with fake permits and licences.
The youths, natives from the Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, were working as security services for a private logistics company. The arrested include Shoukath Ali(27), Musthaq Hussain(24), Shukkur Ahammed(23), Muhammed Javed(22) and Gul Saman(22).
Quoting Karamana Police, a TV news channel reported that the five were taken into custody on Wednesday and an FIR was filed under sections 25(1), 25(1-B)(a), 3 of Arms Act and sections 465, 468 and 471 of IPC.
As per the police, all five suspects were working for Sisco Cash Logistics, a company that is into replenishing ATMs. The website of the company claims it has been in the service of ATM replenishment services since 2004 to the public and private sector banks and MSPs in about 450 cities across 28 States and Union Territories. The representatives of the company were also questioned by the Karamana police and all the employee documents were provided by the private firm.
The police stated that the youth managed to make fake licenses issued by the District Magistrate of Rajouri. With these credentials, they managed to secure the job of providing security to the vehicles which load cash into various ATMs in the capital city. The sleuths also revealed that the youths were recruited through a Navi Mumbai based consultancy SVS Associates. The truth came to light after the police tried to verify the licence number provided by the youths with the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir and found it to be fake.
“It is shocking to realise that these youths have been travelling in the country with the fake license and country-made weapons for the last 6 months,” a senior police officer in Karamana Police station said. From the possession of the accused persons 3 double-barrel guns, 2 single barrel guns and 25 rounds of ammunition and 5 mobile phones were recovered.
The police revealed that a special squad of Kerala Police will be sent to Maharashtra as well as Jammu and Kashmir to probe the involvement of more people in this network.
“We also believe there are more youths who are similarly employed in Kochi as well,” stated the Police officer at Karamana, on condition of anonymity.
District Police Commissioner Dr Vaibhav Saxena IPS also questioned and probed the accused. The youths were also questioned by The Assistant Commissioner of District Special Branch which covers matters of private security services as well as by the DYSP rank officer.
“Prima Facie investigation has revealed that the weapons were all made in Jammu and Kashmir. We are also probing if there are more similar individuals who have fake weapons. A comprehensive investigation will be taken up in the matter,” he stated.
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