Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar crime branch seizes 66 weapons & stolen bike; Probe on into illegal arms trade link

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The city crime branch has arrested a suspected bike thief and seized a cache of 66 sharp-edged weapons, including 58 knives and eight iron knuckle-dusters, collectively valued at over ₹1lakh, raising suspicions of an illegal weapons trade network.The police also recovered a stolen motorcycle worth ₹30,000 from the accused, helping detect a vehicle theft case registered at the Cidco police station.The accused, identified as Sameer Khan Salim Khan of Misarwadi, was arrested following a raid, while the whereabouts of his brother remain unknown. Acting on a tip-off received by crime branch sub-inspector Arjun Kadam, police teams conducted a search at their residence after informing senior officers.According to the police, the brothers were allegedly “possessing sharp-edged weapons illegally and creating fear in the locality.” During the raid, the entire cache of weapons was recovered from Sameer’s possession.Police commissioner Pravin Pawar said the operation highlights the department’s focus on curbing illegal arms. “The crime branch acted swiftly on credible intelligence and recovered a large quantity of prohibited weapons. Such operations are aimed at preventing potential crimes and maintaining public safety,” Pawar said.During further investigation, police found that Sameer was also in possession of a stolen motorcycle linked to a Cidco police station case.Crime branch inspector Gajanan Kalyankar said investigators are now probing a wider network. “We are verifying from whom the accused procured these knives and iron fighters, and whether they were supplying or selling them to others in the city. The investigation is focused on uncovering any illegal arms trade linked to the accused,” he said.