Three sell pistols & country-made firearms on Instagram, detained

Noida: Two youths were arrested and a juvenile was detained on Thursday after police busted a gang that sourced and sold illegal weapons through Instagram. Cops recovered 11 firearms, including five pistols and six country-made weapons, from their possession.The accused, identified as Abhishek of Sorkha village and Sameer of Sector 125, both Class 10 pass-outs, used the social media platform to finalise deals, pricing pistols at Rs 45,000 and country-made firearms around Rs 10,000 apiece.Police said the gang had been operating for nearly 18 months and allegedly sold approximately 50 illegal weapons during that period.Investigators said the accused used the weapons not only for profit but also to assert dominance in the locality. Police are currently working to identify and trace the supplier who provided the gang with the firearms.According to additional DCP Manisha Singh, Phase-1 Police Station received a tip-off that a group of youths were engaged in illegal arms trafficking in the area. Acting on the intelligence, a team laid a cordon near a culvert at the 14A drain and intercepted the three accused.The gang members told police during interrogation that buyers were contacted and deals negotiated over Instagram before the weapons were handed over in person. The low entry barrier of social media, combined with the high demand for firearms in the region, allowed the group to sustain the racket for over a year before detection.All three accused were apprehended from Sector 14. The two adults have been arrested under relevant Arms Act provisions while the juvenile has been detained and will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.