The seizure of 25,000 live cartridges in Haryana has brought licensed gun houses in Uttar Pradesh under scrutiny, with investigators probing a suspected interstate network allegedly diverting ammunition from authorised channels to illegal arms manufacturers and criminal gangs.
The recovery has also raised security concerns ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with agencies examining whether the alleged supply network has strengthened criminal groups by providing them with large quantities of ammunition.
The Haryana Special Task Force (STF) intercepted two vehicles near the Rohad toll plaza in Jhajjar district on Tuesday, recovering 24,400 cartridges of 7.65mm (.32 bore) and .315 bore from an SUV and another 600 .315-bore cartridges from a sedan. Eight mobile phones and both vehicles were seized.
Five of the accused were arrested initially, while a sixth, identified as Vijay Goel, who runs a gun house in Sirsa, was subsequently arrested. The five other accused are Afifuddin alias Munna Khan, 49, Asim Rais, 33, Sablu Khan, 32, Arbaz Ali, 27, and Zeenat, 33. All five are residents of Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.
Waseem Akram, superintendent of police, Haryana STF, said the ammunition was allegedly intended for illegal arms manufacturers and criminal gangs in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. All the cartridges bore the 'KF' marking, indicating that they had been manufactured at an ammunition factory in Khadki, Pune.
The 7.65mm cartridges are used in small handguns, including country-made firearms manufactured in Bihar's Munger, West Bengal and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The .315-bore ammunition is used in rifles and other weapons.
Badaun gun house owner suspected to be key link
The Uttar Pradesh connection has become a major focus of the investigation, with five of the six arrested men belonging to Badaun. Investigators suspect that Munna, who owns the ancestral Badaun Gun House in the Civil Lines area, was the alleged kingpin of the network.
He allegedly sourced the cartridges from Vijay Goel, who runs Mehak Gun House in Sirsa, Haryana. The ammunition was then allegedly routed through intermediaries to illegal arms manufacturers and criminal networks.
Investigators suspect that the network had been operating for around three years, exploiting loopholes in ammunition stock management at licensed gun houses in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states.
A senior Uttar Pradesh STF official, requesting anonymity, said investigators were examining how ammunition issued through licensed channels was allegedly diverted and whether the accused had developed a wider network of dealers and intermediaries.
“The crucial aspect is to match the stock and transaction records of the concerned gun houses with the quantities recovered. Investigators also need to establish whether this was an isolated consignment or part of a sustained supply arrangement,” the official said.
The probe will also examine possible links between ammunition suppliers, illegal arms manufacturers and criminal gangs in western and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Investigators are tracing financial transactions, other supply routes and the intended recipients of the cartridges, another STF official said.
Badaun police are separately examining the local connections of the arrested men and records of the gun house allegedly linked to Munna, a senior district police official said.
A report published on Thursday said investigators had found that the consignment was allegedly purchased from the Sirsa gun house for ₹50 lakh and was intended for supply to Bihar gangster Ashif Ansari. The Badaun Gun House linked to Munna was also reportedly sealed as part of the investigation. These details are being examined by the police.
UP DGP flags security concerns ahead of 2027 polls
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna said the alleged diversion of ammunition from authorised channels posed a serious security concern, particularly ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
“Any attempt to divert ammunition from authorised channels into the illegal market is a serious security concern. We are coordinating with the Haryana and Bihar police to establish the supply chain, identify the source and trace intended recipients. Records of licensed arms dealers and ammunition stocks will also be scrutinised. In view of the 2027 Assembly elections, we are particularly alert to any activity that could strengthen criminal networks or threaten law and order,” Krishna said.
The investigation is focusing on the role of licensed arms dealers and the possibility that ammunition stocks were systematically diverted. Police teams from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are coordinating to identify the source of the cartridges, establish how they were transported and trace the people who were supposed to receive them.
Bihar seizure led Haryana STF to the consignment
The Haryana operation followed the arrest of three suspects in Bihar's Bhojpur district on Monday, when 19,200 live cartridges were recovered from them.
During questioning, the arrested men allegedly disclosed their links with Munna. Investigators found that one of them, Laltu, was in direct contact with him and had allegedly procured ammunition from him. Munna, in turn, was suspected of sourcing the cartridges from Goel in Sirsa.
Bihar Police alerted their Haryana counterparts on Tuesday morning about two vehicles suspected of carrying ammunition. Acting on the information, the Haryana STF intercepted the vehicles near Triveni Dhaba, opposite the Rohad toll plaza in Jhajjar.
An FIR was registered at Asauda police station in Jhajjar on a complaint by an STF official under Sections 25(1-B)(a) and 25(8) of the Arms Act.
The investigation is continuing, with agencies examining the alleged diversion of ammunition through licensed gun houses, the wider network of intermediaries and the possible links between the suppliers and criminal groups across several states.