Fake gun license racket busted in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Commissioner’s Task Force (west) team busted a fake gun license racket and seized a huge cache of weapons purchased using those licenses.

Acting on a tip off, the team caught one Altaf Hussain, a resident of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, who was in possession of a gun license and a double bore gun.

According to the police, the main kingpin of the racket, Altaf works with the Grace Management Security Service located in Secunderabad. He had obtained a fake gun license from Jammu and Kashmir through dubious method. Using it he managed to procure a weapon from Nagpur and started working as an armed security guard.

Giving details, Hyderabad Police Commissioner, CV Anand said lured by the huge amount of money involved in preparing forged gun license, Altaf in connivance of Venkata Konda Reddy, regional manager at Grace Management Security Services, and another person, I Srinivas, a photocopying shop owner in West Marredpally, printed and prepared license documents and rubber stamps.

“They sold each license for Rs.10,000 to Rs.20,000 to unemployed youth from Bihar and other States. Later using those documents, the youth managed to purchase weapons from Nagpur and other cities and brought to the city,” he said.

Those who purchased the weapons enrolled with different security agencies and took jobs of security guards at a salary of Rs. 25,000. “A guard holding a gun license and weapon is paid around Rs. 25,000 while the regular guards get only Rs.15,000 a month,” said a Task Force official.

The guards were engaged by Asian Security Services, Nandamuri Security and Services and Grace Management Security Services, having operations in Telangana.

On specific information, a team led by Task Force Inspector, Khaleel Pasha busted the racket and seized 30 single bore guns, three double bore guns, one revolver, 140 rounds, 34 fake weapon license books, 29 unused weapon license book, nine weapon licenses, six rubber stamps and a No Objection Letter document. Seven persons were arrested.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner warned the private security firms against flouting of the Private Security Agency Regulation Act (PSARA) and said it should hire guards with a fire arms licenses. “If the banks or commercial establishments want armed guards for security purpose, they should apply for arms license and after obtaining it only, hire armed guards as retainers,” he said.

The city police will soon hold a meeting with the private security firms to discuss the issue.

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