A major crackdown by Delhi Police has exposed a sophisticated cross-border arms trafficking network that routed high-end foreign weapons from Pakistan into India through Nepal and Bangladesh, using covert logistics and layered concealment.
The crime branch arrested 10 operatives and seized 21 sophisticated firearms, including a Czech-origin submachine gun and pistols typically used by Special Forces, along with 200 live cartridges.
Weapons and global trail
The recovered arsenal included:
- Czech submachine gun (Skorpion)
- PX-5.7 and PX3 pistols
- Taurus (Brazil), Walther (Germany), Stoeger (Turkiye), Star (China), Beretta (Italy)
Police suspect these weapons were procured by organised criminal gangs for targeted killings across north India.
The smuggling route explained
Investigators uncovered a multi-country pipeline designed to evade detection:
- Pakistan: Weapons dismantled into parts
- West Asia: Parts routed as transit cargo
- Nepal: Reassembled after being shipped as “metal scrap”
- India (via porous borders like Sonauli): Smuggled in
- Old Delhi: Final distribution hub
Old Delhi’s dense localities were used as safe transit and concealment zones, from where weapons were supplied across Delhi-NCR and beyond.
Inside the trafficking network
The operation revealed a highly organised syndicate led by fugitive arms dealer Shahbaz Ansari, described by police as running a “scrap-to-sniper” supply chain.
Key tactics used by the network:
- Encrypted messaging and VoIP calls
- Frequent switching of SIM cards and devices
- Use of fake-identity SIM cards
- Payments routed through hawala channels
A SIM vendor in Ajmeri Gate allegedly supplied hundreds of connections registered on forged documents, ensuring the network remained untraceable.
Crackdown and arrests
The breakthrough came on March 13 in Dariya Ganj, when police intercepted the module’s main Delhi operative, Rahil, along with associates. A CZ Shadow pistol was recovered from his vehicle.
Subsequent raids across nearly 70 locations led to multiple arrests, including:
- Key receivers and distributors in Delhi
- Links to handlers in Nepal
- A cross-border courier who transported consignments
In one instance, a suspect allegedly pulled a gun on police before being overpowered.
The final breakthrough came on March 24, when a smuggler was apprehended in Uttar Pradesh’s Sikandrabad. His interrogation led to the recovery of a Skorpion submachine gun, described as the module’s “prized” weapon.
What’s next
Investigators are now focusing on identifying the end recipients, with strong indications that several criminal gangs had already received consignments—nearly 75 foreign firearms in the past nine months.
The case highlights how international smuggling routes, weak border points, and urban hideouts can combine to fuel organised crime within India, even as authorities tighten surveillance and enforcement.
