Nov 17, 2022

CPs taskforce busts fake arms licence racket

   Seven men have been arrested by Commissioner’s task force team for allegedly running a fake arms licence racket. The perpetrators  used fake seals of licence issuing officials & forged the signatures  to prepare the fake arm licences and procured real weapons.This is of great danger to the security of the city as illegal weapons are in circulation and being used for various purposes by dubious means.

       City Police Commissioner Mr.CV Anand presenting the facts of the case in his office and communicating through a press release , said that the mastermind of the racket Altaf Hussain, resident of Rajouri district- J&K, came to  city in 2013 for livelihood and joined Grace Management Security Service. Later he was deployed as Gunman in SIS cash service, west Marredpally. Prior to his employment in City, he purchased  a doube bore gun  using a fake arms  licence in Rajouri , J&K which he had obtained by bribing the local magistrate office.

 

As he was familiar with the process and licence details he teamed up with Hafeezuddin, a stamp vendor in Secunderabad, and started issuing fake  gun licenses by indulging in forgery and affixing fake seals.These fake documents have been used to procure real arms.  Further he steeped the illegal activity and starting issuing fake arms licenses and trapped the unemployed youth  residing in J&K states who tried to make a living as security guards in private  security firms. Using the fake All India Licenses (Rajouri based), weapons were procured from other states by these gullible candidates for 40 to 60 , 000/- rupees.

     This infringement has taken place with the connivance of Venkata Konda Reddy,  Regional Manager at Grace Management Security Services . They colluded with stamp vendor Hafeezuddin at park lane road for fake stamps and I.Srinivas, xerox shop owner in  West Marredpally for duplicate gun license books . The accused used to collected Rs 20,000  from each unemployed youngster and later deployed them in various private security agencies, a serious lapse in the functioning of security firms. Asian Security  Services, Nandamuri security & Services, Grace Management security services engaged  security guards, who were in possession  illicit weapons, and deployed them to their clientele which includes VVIPs, jewellery showrooms, agencies engaged for carrying ATM cash and as personal security guards.

Acting on a tip-off the West Zone task force probed and busted the racket. The accused have been booked under charges of cheating, forgery, making counterfeit seals, criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of arms. The Police seized  sizeable cache of arms & ammunition  including 30 Single Bore Weapons, 3 double bore weapons, 1 revolver, 140 rounds, 34 fake weapon license books, 29 unused weapons license books, 9 weapon licences which were affixed with fake stamp, 6 rubber stamps and 1 unsigned NOC. Teams were deployed to arrest  K. Shalem Raju(Owner of Grace Management security services) who is absconding. 

“The power of issuing arms  licenses and renewals is vested with police.This is illegal and a serious threat to public safety.The private security firms must adhere to  Private Security Agency Regulation Act (PSARA) under which the operation of private security agencies is governed.A private security agency cannot hire a guard with a firearms licence and they should also submit an undertaking to this effect .If banks , ATMs ,Business establishments etc want armed guards , they can apply for a arms license and then hire the armed guards as retainers from the security services." said the top brass. 

" We have also alerted other commissionerates and District collectors."  he added.

CP Anand said that they will  conduct a meeting with all private security agencies  and urged them to voluntarily disclose the weapons in their possession. City police also contemplates on issuing retainer licences to private security firms who deploy their guards to  commercial establishments, ATMs and other firms.

Mr.Anand  appreciated and rewarded the West Zone task force team led by  of DCP Sri P. Radha Kishan Rao and presented appreciation certificate, cash reward to Md Khaleel Pasha, Inspector West Zone Task Force Team;  SI’s N. Ranjith Kumar, P. Mallikarjun, Md . Mujaffar Ali, P. Chandramouli and other PCs.

No comments: