Bhubaneswar, April 2: In a major crackdown on illegal arms trade, the Special Crime Unit of the Commissionerate Police arrested an alleged arms dealer in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, exposing a racket operating from the Sundarpada area.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Special Crime Unit carried out a raid at Talasahi in Sundarpada and apprehended the accused, identified as Amaresh Rout alias Kanha. During the operation, police seized two semi-automatic pistols, 10 rounds of live ammunition, and two magazines from his possession. The motorcycle allegedly used for transporting the weapons was also confiscated.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Manas Kumar Swain confirmed that the accused had been under surveillance for some time following inputs regarding his involvement in illegal arms trading activities in the city.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Rout had earlier been arrested in connection with the high-profile Jharaphul murder case by Kuakhia Police and was out on bail. Police suspect he resumed illegal activities after his release.

Officials have indicated the possible involvement of an inter-state syndicate behind the racket. Further investigation is underway to trace the source of the firearms and identify other associates, with more arrests likely.

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