Haryana STF seized 25,000 cartridges near Jhajjar on Tuesday, uncovering an interstate racket. Police arrested six men, including Badaun gun house owner Afifuddin, for allegedly diverting ammunition to criminal gangs. UP DGP Rajeev Krishna said, "Any attempt to divert ammunition from authorised channels into the illegal market is a serious concern."
The seizure of 25,000 live cartridges in Haryana has put the alleged misuse of licensed gun houses in Uttar Pradesh under the scanner, with investigators probing an interstate network suspected of diverting ammunition from authorised channels to illegal arms manufacturers and criminal gangs.
The recovery has 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 large quantities of ammunition.
The Haryana STF intercepted two vehicles near 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 also seized.
The ammunition was allegedly meant for illegal arms manufacturers and criminal gangs in UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, said Waseem Akram, superintendent of police, Haryana STF. All the cartridges bore the 'KF' marking, indicating they were manufactured at an ammunition factory in Khadki, Pune, he said.
The 7.65mm cartridges are used in small handguns, including country-made firearms manufactured in Bihar's Munger, West Bengal and eastern UP, while .315-bore ammunition is used in rifles and other weapons.
"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," UP DGP Rajeev Krishna said.
The UP connection is significant, as five of the six arrested men, including alleged kingpin Afifuddin alias Munna Khan, 49, are from Badaun. Munna owns the ancestral Badaun Gun House in Civil Lines and allegedly sourced cartridges from Vijay Goel, who runs Mehak Gun House in Sirsa, Haryana. The ammunition was allegedly routed through intermediaries to illegal arms manufacturers and criminal networks.
The other Budaun residents arrested are Asim Rais, 33, Sablu Khan, 32, Arbaz Ali, 27, and Zeenat, 33. Goel is the sixth accused.
Investigators suspect the network had been operating for around three years, exploiting loopholes in ammunition stock management at licensed gun houses in Haryana, UP and other states.
A senior UP 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 UP, besides tracing financial transactions, other supply routes and intended recipients, 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.
Day earlier, seizure in Bihar
The Haryana seizure followed the arrest of three suspects in Bihar's Bhojpur district on Monday, with 19,200 live cartridges recovered from them. The arrested men allegedly disclosed links with Munna. Investigators found that one of them was in direct contact with Munna and had procured ammunition from him, while Munna allegedly sourced cartridges from Goel.
Bihar Police alerted their Haryana counterparts on Tuesday morning about two vehicles suspected of carrying ammunition. This led to their interception near Triveni Dhaba, opposite Rohad toll plaza. An FIR under sections 25(1-B)(a) and 25(8) of the Arms Act was registered at Asaudha police station in Jhajjar on an STF official's complaint.