Jaipur: From AK-series rifles to country-made pistols and even muzzleloaders, a wide range of illegal firearms continues to surface in police investigations across Rajasthan. This points to an evolving arms supply chain that caters to both local gangs and organised criminal groups.Since 2023, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) seized more than 100 illegal weapons and recovered 2,115 cartridges from multiple districts. Police officials said many of these weapons were smuggled along a well-trodden corridor extending from Dholpur, near the Uttar Pradesh border, to Pratapgarh, which shares boundaries with Madhya Pradesh. “The gangsters and suppliers work as a closely knit community; they procure weapons both from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh,” said an official.Since June, notable recoveries include an AK-56 rifle seized from criminal Rajveer Singh and an AK-46 recovered from a suspect in Dholpur. In Churu, gangster Jitendra Singh alias Jeetu Jodi was caught with an AK-47 and two magazines. In a separate operation in the same district, Praveen Jyoti alias Praveen Commando—who carried a Rs 25,000 reward—was arrested with 18 illegal weapons, 16 magazines, and 160 cartridges.A major breakthrough came in Pratapgarh, where AGTF officials arrested gangster Salman Khan and arms supplier Rakesh Kumar, recovering 14 illegal foreign and country-made weapons, 10 magazines, and 1,880 live cartridges. This operation also led to the arrest of Ramashankar, a key illegal arms dealer in Uttar Pradesh. Police later arrested a UP-based gun shop owner who allegedly supplied ammunition to the network.Officials said that in several narcotics-related raids, weapons were also recovered, indicating that drug cartels are sourcing firearms alongside their trade. “In many such cases, weapons were seized alongside drugs,” said an AGTF officer. According to sources, the seizure in Pratapgarh was one of the largest in recent years, with over 1,800 rounds of ammunition recovered, further exposing the supply networks that support criminal operations across the region. AGTF officials said that after they arrested the gun shop owner from Uttar Pradesh, they also began to keep an eye on similar businessmen in Rajasthan. “We found that the accused arrested from Uttar Pradesh used to siphon off ammunition to gangs by forging his record sheets. After that, we decided to examine other gun house owners in Rajasthan,” said an official.
Over 100 illegal arms seized in 18 months from across state | Jaipur News
