Nagpur: In a significant operation, Nagpur Police have successfully busted an interstate gunrunning racket operating between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. This operation, which is part of the ongoing investigation into the Mominpura shootout case, has resulted in the seizure of at least nine firearms, including seven pistols, and the recovery of 84 rounds of ammunition. Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Gorakh Bhamre provided information about the operation to Nagpur Today.
The DCP said that the breakthrough in this investigation came following the arrest of Imran Alam, a notorious gunrunner from Madhya Pradesh. Imran Alam has been linked to arms dealers in Burhanpur, which has emerged as a focal point for clandestine arms trade in the region. During his police custody since November 11, Imran had initially denied any involvement in the case.
The search for the murder weapon in the Mominpura shooting case led the police to uncover an extensive interstate gun-running operation that spans the regions of Nagpur and Madhya Pradesh, specifically the illegal firearm factories of Chhindwara and Burhanpur.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zonal) Gorakh Bhamre disclosed that at least nine firearms, including seven pistols, and 84 rounds of ammunition have been seized so far, with the potential for further discoveries. These recent seizures were the result of the arrest of Imran Alam, a long-standing figure in the arms trade industry who is wanted in several cases in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. Imran has been in this illicit trade for over a decade.
Imran was identified as a supplier of firearms to Feroze Khan, also known as Haji, based in Nagpur. On Sunday, the Nagpur police apprehended Feroze Khan and seized three additional firearms and cartridges from his residence in Ansar Nagar. Feroze Khan had initially denied possessing any firearms, but Imran revealed critical information during police interrogation, leading to the confiscation of the weapons.
According to DCP Bhamre, Imran had relocated from Madhya Pradesh to Gulshan Nagar in Kalamna, Nagpur, as part of his strategy to evade arrest. He would transport firearms from Madhya Pradesh to Nagpur, occasionally using a bus to deliver them to Feroze Haji’s location in Gulshan Nagar.
Earlier, in the Mominpura murder case, the Tehsil police had recovered a firearm (mauzer) and two cartridges from the mastermind, Mohammed Parvez Mohd Harun. He was responsible for the point-blank shooting of guesthouse owner Jameel Ahmed on October 25, following a dispute over profit-sharing.
During Parvez’s interrogation, he provided information about Feroze Khan, which led to the arrest of the latter by the Tehsil police team under Senior Inspectors Vinod Patil and Sandeep Buwa. Notably, Feroze had been arrested by Bajaj Nagar police in 2019, with two firearms seized from him, though the investigation was subsequently dropped.
The Tehsil police have now arrested two additional individuals, Monu from Hasanbagh and another individual from Ganeshpeth, seizing two firearms from them.
The senior police official has revealed that the Imran-Feroze gang had supplied firearms to multiple criminal elements in Nagpur. These illegal firearms were available at a price range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 from Burhanpur dealers, with Imran selling them to Feroze at a margin, and end-users purchasing them for amounts ranging between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000.
The Tehsil police have initiated further legal actions in the case, with multiple offenses registered at different police stations. A separate case is expected to be filed at Kalamna police station against Alam and Feroze for their involvement in the illegal firearms trade at Gulshan Nagar. Additionally, FIRs are anticipated at Ganeshpeth police station against Mohsin for possessing an illegal firearm supplied by Feroze and Alam. Another offense is likely to be registered at Nandanvan police station against Monu, from whom two firearms were seized.
