From Nagaland Forgeries to Illegal Guns: Odisha Police Dismantle High-Price Firearms Network in Rourkela

In a significant crackdown on illegal firearms trafficking, Rourkela Police in Odisha have dismantled an interstate racket that allegedly procured fraudulent all-India arms licenses from Nagaland using forged documents and supplied weapons at exorbitant rates.

The organised network operated across Rourkela in Odisha, Kolkata in West Bengal, and Nagaland, targeting individuals with offers of arms licenses and firearms in exchange for payments ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per license.

Acting on specific intelligence, authorities carried out coordinated raids at various locations in Rourkela, uncovering the syndicate's modus operandi of obtaining bogus licenses from Nagaland through counterfeit paperwork.

Police arrested three key accused: 58-year-old Ratan Kumar Shaw, identified as the mastermind, from Basanti Colony; and brothers Ramandeep Singh and Mandeep Singh from Civil Township in Rourkela.

A substantial cache of incriminating documents, forged materials, and illegal firearms was recovered from the suspects during the operation.

Police said that the breakthrough highlights growing concerns over the misuse of arms licensing processes in certain regions, enabling the proliferation of unauthorised weapons across state borders.

They added that investigations are ongoing to identify additional links and accomplices in the racket.

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