A day after seizing two revolvers and two home-made pistols, Banke police on Friday seized two more home-made pistols. Police have seized 12 weapons of various types in the last two months alone. [break]
“As Dashain festival approaches, criminals are smuggling small arms from India to extort businessmen,” said SP Dinesh Amatya of Banke police. “Therefore, we have launched a special operation to control arms smuggling.”
According to the police, a home-made pistol costs only Rs 10,000. Small-time Indian weapon agents easily supply small arms to Nepal. The easy availability of arms has given rise to criminal activities. Police say that weapons smuggled from India are circulated across the country.
Police managed to seize four more small arms on Friday on the basis of information provided by a previously-arrested weapon smuggler.
During interrogation by the police, Rampad Dev Barma, 70, of Udarapura-6 in Banke, who was arrested four days ago, had disclosed that he had hidden 10 arms at a local temple. However, police found only eight weapons.
Barma was arrested while selling a 9-mm pistol to Tulbir BC, of Puraina-2 in Banke, for Rs 6,000. Barma also provided weapons on rent, the police said.
Police say several armed groups that are active in Tarai also use small-arms smuggled from India.
According to the police, Anil Jaiswal, who introduced himself as Nepalgunj in-charge of Samyukta Jantantrik Mukti Morcha after being arrested by the police, has revealed that he extorted Rs one million from several businessmen in one-and-a-half months.
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