Gurgaon: Haryana Special Task Force (STF) seized 25,000 live cartridges from two cars parked near Triveni Dhaba in Jhajjar’s Rohad on Tuesday morning. Five people, all residents of Badaun in UP, were detained.Acting on a tip-off from STF Bihar, the team searched a Tata Harrier and a Hyundai Aura parked along the roadside. Police seized 24,400 live cartridges of different calibres, bearing KF 7.65 and BMM KF markings, from Harrier, which had three occupants. Another 600 live cartridges bearing BMM KF markings were found in Aura, which had two occupants. Eight mobile phones were also seized.The detainees were identified as Afifuddin alias Munna Khan (49), Asim Rais (33), Sabloo Khan (32), Arbaz Ali (27), and Zeenat (33). The STF said none of them could produce a licence for possessing ammunition.The vehicles, cartridges, and mobile phones were taken into police custody. An FIR was registered on Nov 3 at Asaudha police station in Jhajjar under the Arms Act.According to the preliminary investigation, Afifuddin alias Munna Khan runs Badayun Gun House in Civil Lines police station area of Badaun. He had travelled to Sirsa and procured the ammunition from Vijay Goyal, owner of Mehak Gun House in Sirsa, an STF officer said.Investigators are also examining a possible link between the Jhajjar seizure and a similar recovery made by STF of Bihar Police a day earlier in Bhojpur. In that case, a criminal identified as Laltu and his associates were arrested, and around 20,000 cartridges were seized from them.STF’s preliminary findings indicated that Laltu was in close contact with Munna Khan and had received ammunition from him. Police are probing the source of cartridges and supply and distribution network involving gun houses.The investigation is continuing in coordination with STF Bihar and UP police to trace the source of ammunition and identify others involved in the network, the officer said.
