Dumka: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Jharkhand Police has arrested two members of an alleged interstate arms supply racket in Deoghar and seized a sophisticated firearm from their possession.On April 23, a team from the ATS in Ranchi, with assistance from the local police, arrested Ajit Kumar Pandey alias Ajit Kumar Mishra from Nandan Pahar locality under Town police station limits. Based on his disclosure, co-accused Pankaj Kumar Singh was also arrested from Kunda police station limits.In the raids that followed, a US-made pistol, a country-made gun and seven cartridges were recovered. An FIR was registered by the ATS with the Town police station. “The weapons were to be used in criminal activities,” the FIR stated.“The accused confessed to procuring illegal arms from Munger and Jamui in Bihar and supply them across Deoghar and adjoining districts and named suppliers Parvez from Munger and Sonu Kumar Singh from Jamui, indicating a wider interstate network under investigation,” an ATS official said.Police said that those arrested also had past criminal background. Ajit has five prior cases registered against him, while Pankaj faces four cases, including charges related to murder and extortion across multiple districts such as Deoghar, Dumka in Jharkhand and Jamui and Munger districts in Bihar.“Efforts are underway to arrest the Bihar-based suppliers whose names were revealed during the interrogation,” Deoghar SP Praveen Pushkar said. The SP added that the police willapproach to pray for the remand of the accused for further interrogation.
