Mumbai: The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai crime branch has arrested five members of a Haryana-based gang for allegedly possessing illegal firearms and preparing to sell them near Cotton Green station. The crime branch confiscated three revolvers, one pistol, and 51 live cartridges. The gang arrived in Thane by train and was on its way to Cotton Green when the AEC carried out the arrests. One of the arrested accused was allegedly in contact with gangster Goldy Brar.
Acting on a tip-off received by constable Amol Todkar, the team laid a trap. The information was immediately shared with police inspector Arun Thorat of the AEC, who instructed Todkar to summon two independent witnesses (panchas) for verification.
After confirming the credibility of the tip-off, Thorat directed that a special team be formed to conduct the operation. Sub-inspector Jalindra Lembhe and other officers, including constables Nilesh Kand and Kiran Bansode, were part of the team. The officers gathered necessary equipment including laptops, printers, sealing materials, and official stamps, and presented them to the panchas before proceeding with the raid.
The team laid a trap near the office of the assistant executive engineer, Cotton Depot, Mumbai Port Trust, and apprehended the accused. Sunny Nareshkumar, 26, Ravi Angrez, 23, and Aditya Yogesh Kaushik, 23, are from Sonipat, Haryana; Rahul Prithvisingh, 27, from Karnal district; and Anuj Kuldeep Kumar, 28, from Jajjar district. Among the accused, Nareshkumar is a businessman, while Angrez is a student. They were produced before a court, which remanded them to police custody till August 8.
The crime branch continues to investigate the source of the illegal firearms and the accused’s network. More details are expected as the investigation progresses.
