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The Bihar Special Task Force has busted a major interstate ammunition smuggling network with the arrest of three persons and the seizure of around 19,000 live cartridges near the Koilwar toll plaza in Bhojpur district. Acting on specific intelligence regarding the transit of illegal arms, a joint team intercepted a four-wheeler near the check post on Monday. The arrested men have been identified as Saras Kumar and Laltu Kumar, both residents of Ahiyapur in Muzaffarpur, and Chandan Tiwari from Tarwara in Siwan. Preliminary interrogation revealed that the massive consignment was being brought from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh and was meant for delivery to local arms dealers across Muzaffarpur, Supaul, Darbhanga, and Siwan districts.
Consignment Concealed in Vehicle Boot and Baskets
The operation was executed under the leadership of STF Deputy Superintendents of Police Sheikh Sabir and Pritam Kumar in coordination with the Bhojpur district police. Officers cordoned off the area around the Koilwar police station limits and intercepted the suspected vehicle. Upon conducting a thorough search, the team recovered 19,000 cartridges of various calibres, one country-made .32-bore pistol, five mobile phones, and the four-wheeler used in transporting the contraband. The ammunition was packed inside black polythene packets and concealed within baskets and the boot of the car to evade detection at security checkpoints. Following the recovery, an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Arms Act at Koilwar police station.
Accused Handled Inter-District Arms Distribution
According to police records, Saras Kumar is the son of late Madhubindra Kumar and resides in Indraprastha Colony, Ahiyapur, Muzaffarpur. Laltu Kumar is the son of Ramdev Chaudhary, a resident of Fatehpur under Ahiyapur police station. The third associate, Chandan Tiwari, is the son of late Nand Kishore Tiwari from Madhavpur in Tarwara, Siwan. Investigators are currently questioning the three accused to trace the supply chain, verify who funded the purchase in Uttar Pradesh, and identify the local handlers who were scheduled to take delivery of the cartridges across north Bihar. The mobile phones seized from their possession are also being analysed for call logs, messaging data, and financial transactions related to the racket.
Interstate Network Linked to Sitamarhi Encounter
The investigation has established clear operational links between the Koilwar seizure and an earlier encounter reported from Sitamarhi district on October 7. During that encounter in the Riga police station area, a joint team of the STF and district police had arrested three criminals and seized three semi-automatic pistols along with 777 cartridges. That incident led to the registration of Case Number 384/26 at Riga police station against Sunil Kumar, Man Shankar alias Mani Singh, and Indal Kumar alias Indal Mahto. Police records show seven criminal cases lodged against Sunil Kumar, five against Man Shankar, and four against Indal Kumar across Sitamarhi. The interrogation of the three suspects in the earlier case helped investigators track the wider interstate syndicate and intercept the fresh consignment before it could reach the intended receivers.
