Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch, during a recent operation, arrested five men with criminal records and confiscated seven country-made pistols.The arrests were carried out on Friday by the anti-gunda squad, led by assistant police inspector Harish Mane, across Wakad, Chikhali and Alandi areas. Mane said that the firearms had been smuggled into Pimpri Chinchwad from Dhule district. The police are currently investigating whether the weapons were intended for use in committing crimes or for illegal sale.Among those apprehended in Sonawane Vasti area of Chikhali were three known criminals: Suhas Gaikwad (27) of Nigdi, Abhay Surwase (27) of Pimple Gurav and Omkar Bandagar (21) of Dharashiv. The police recovered four country-made pistols and three cartridges from this group. Authorities also noted that Surwase had been externed from the Pune district just in June of this year.“All the accused have cases of murder, robbery and body offences registered against them with different police stations,” Mane said.The crime branch team arrested 27-year-old Sameer Ijgaj of Marunji and recovered two country-made pistols and two cartridges from him. Ijgaj was arrested from the Wakad area. Ijgaj has four cases registered against him with Wakad and Chinchwad police.The crime branch also arrested a daily wage worker, Dharmendra Sen (25), from Solu in Khed taluka and recovered a country-made pistol and a cartridge from him.
