Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad city crime branch on Wednesday arrested a 27-year-old man and seized six country-made firearms, along with 21 live bullets, in a crackdown on illegal weapons ahead of the 149th Rath Yatra. The haul included four pistols, one handgun and a 12-bore rifle.The accused, identified as Karansinh Solanki, a resident of Detroj taluka in Ahmedabad district, was intercepted beneath the Zundal bridge on SP Ring Road after the crime branch received a tip-off during routine patrolling. Along with the weapons and ammunition, police also recovered a mobile phone and a bag from him. The total value of the seized property was estimated at Rs 88,300.A complaint was registered against Solanki under provisions of the Arms Act. During interrogation, he reportedly told investigators that he had procured the firearms from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and brought them to Gujarat for sale. Police said he was supplying illegal weapons across Ahmedabad rural and Mehsana districts for the past two years.Officers said the accused maintained contacts with bootleggers and other individuals involved in criminal activities in these two districts. The crime branch further stated that Solanki was arrested earlier in multiple Arms Act cases but resumed the trade after securing bail.Investigators are now trying to determine the identities of the intended buyers of the seized firearms and whether the weapons were meant for use in any planned criminal activity. Police records indicated that Solanki has several other cases registered against him, including those under Arms Act, Prohibition Act and BNS.
