SRINAGAR: In a joint operation conducted by the Southern Command Military Intelligence, Pune, and Tofkhana police station, Ahilyanagar, law enforcement agencies uncovered a racket involving men from Jammu and Kashmir employed as security guards using forged firearm licences. The accused were allegedly carrying illegal firearms to secure jobs as armed security personnel, The Times of India reported.
Raids carried out in Ahilyanagar, Shrigonda, Sonai, and Pune led to the arrest of nine individuals, all hailing from Rajouri district in Kashmir. The authorities seized nine 12-bore rifles, counterfeit arms licences, and 58 live cartridges. The accused has reportedly been working as a security guard in banks and for cash transport vehicles since 2015.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Shabbir Mohammad Gujjar (38), Mohammad Salim alias Saleem Gul (32), Mohammad Safraz (24), Jahangir Zakir (28), Shahbaz Ahmed (33), Surjeet Rameshchandra Singh, Abdul Rashid Chidiya (38), Tufail Ahmed, and Sher Ahmed Ghulam Hassan. They were employed in various locations, including Ahilyanagar and Pune, despite allegedly knowing their licences were fake.
According to military intelligence, verification from the district magistrate’s office in Rajouri confirmed that the arms licences were counterfeit. The investigation revealed Sher Ahmed Ghulam Hassan as the alleged mastermind, facilitating the acquisition of fake licences and firearms for Rs 50,000 each.
Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ola stated that the accused used forged documents to deceive authorities and secure high-paying jobs, constituting fraud. Following the seizures, an FIR was registered at Tofkhana police station under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act. Inspector Anand Kokre is leading the investigation.
A senior police officer remarked on the seriousness of the matter, noting the need to trace the source of the firearms and investigate the accused’s connections. “We have not found any substantial leads to suggest their involvement in a larger weapon business, but we cannot rule out the possibility,” the officer said.
While authorities have ruled out a terror angle at this stage, investigations are ongoing to uncover further details about the racket and its operations.
