Guwahati authorities announced that the National Investigation Agency (NIA), operating jointly with the Bihar Special Task Force (STF), successfully apprehended a fugitive suspect linked to an extensive interstate weapons smuggling network connecting Nagaland and Bihar.
Apprehension in Saran District
The fugitive, identified as Karamullah, was captured from Bihar's Saran district on Saturday. Law enforcement officials had been tracking his movements closely since he went into hiding following the initial crackdown on the arms trafficking syndicate.
Conspiracy Involving Prohibited Weapons
According to the investigating agency, Karamullah allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with several other individuals to smuggle sophisticated, prohibited-bore firearms out of Nagaland and into Bihar. Investigators noted that the purported objective behind bringing these weapons across state lines was to disrupt public peace, endanger community safety, and create a direct threat to national security.
Initial Police Action in Muzaffarpur
The legal proceedings in this matter began when the local police registered an official case at the Fakuli police station on May 7, 2024. This action followed the recovery of an AK-47 assault rifle equipped with an optical lens, alongside a quantity of live ammunition, discovered near the Murghatiya Bridge located in Muzaffarpur. State law enforcement officers managed to arrest four suspects at the outset of the investigation.
Transfer of Probe to Federal Agency
Recognizing the wider security implications of the interstate arms trade, federal authorities subsequently took over the inquiry from local police. Following the initial phases of the expanded investigation, the agency submitted its first supplementary chargesheet against four individuals, namely Vikash Kumar, Satyam Kumar, Devmani Rai, and Ahmad Ansari, on May 8 of the previous year.
Ongoing Chargesheets and Arrests
The legal net widened further when the federal body filed a second supplementary chargesheet naming Manjoor Khan on February 20 of the current year. Continuing their pursuit of all involved parties, investigators filed a third supplementary chargesheet against another suspect, Kundan Kumar alias Kundan Bhagat, on April 15. Additionally, authorities tracked down and arrested another suspect named Bhairaw Tripathi in Muzaffarpur on August 19, bringing law enforcement closer to dismantling the entire network.
