The Delhi Police Crime Branch has dismantled a sophisticated firearms supply chain that was arming the capital’s most dreaded criminal syndicates. The operation not only led to the seizure of 15 semi-automatic pistols, 150 live rounds, and 8 magazines but also exposed the dangerous convergence of illegal arms smuggling networks from Uttar Pradesh with Delhi’s gang ecosystem, including the Neeraj Bawania gang.
Acting on credible intelligence about the movement of illegal weapons into the city, a Crime Branch team under Inspector Neeraj Kumar Sharma (NR-II) laid a meticulously planned trap on August 11 near the parking lot of Netaji Subhash Place District Centre.
The operation culminated in the arrest of Mohammad Shajid alias Rashid (42), a resident of Wazirpur JJ Colony, Ashok Vihar. Shajid was caught red-handed in his car carrying a deadly cache — 10 pistols, 118 live cartridges, and 8 extra magazines meant for distribution to gangsters awaiting delivery.
Major Arms Bust in Delhi
A team from NR-II, Crime Branch led by Insp. Neeraj Kumar Sharma busted a syndicate supplying illegal firearms.
👉15 pistols, 150 live rounds & 8 magazines seized.
👉4 accused arrested, including Mohd. Shajid @ Rashid.
👉Arms sourced from Meerut ,… pic.twitter.com/07H7bl6Als— DD News (@DDNewslive) September 14, 2025
“Shajid has been a consistent supplier of illegal arms to multiple gangs in Delhi. His disclosures confirm that the Neeraj Bawania gang and the Afsar gang were among his primary clients. He admitted to having supplied more than 100 firearms in recent years,” said DCP (Crime) Harsh Indora.
A case was registered under provisions of the Arms Act, and a follow-up investigation was launched to track the syndicate’s end receivers.
Based on Shajid’s interrogation, the Crime Branch conducted multiple follow-up operations over the next month, leading to the arrest of three receivers tied to the illicit supply chain:
- August 17: Vishal Rana alias Bhola (28) was arrested with one pistol and three live rounds.
- September 9: Aniket alias Pardeep (32) was nabbed with one semi-automatic pistol and two live rounds.
- September 13: Saurabh Dhingra alias Manny (38) was caught with three pistols and 27 live rounds.
Each of these arrests confirmed the deep penetration of the supply network within Delhi’s crime underworld, where such firearms are used to fuel extortion, contract killings, and territorial wars.
Investigations revealed that Shajid sourced the weapons from Meerut and Mawana in Uttar Pradesh, two regions notorious for their illegal firearms manufacturing hubs. Locally crafted country-made pistols, known as katta, are widespread in UP’s grey market, but what makes this bust alarming is the sophistication of the seized pistols. Police confirmed they were semi-automatic, indicating a shift from crude firearms to more lethal, reliable, and mass-produced weapons.
The syndicate’s modus operandi points to a well-established supply corridor: weapons are procured in UP, smuggled into Delhi through concealed routes, and then delivered directly to gang operatives.
The most damning revelation was Shajid’s admission that the Neeraj Bawania gang one of Delhi’s most powerful crime syndicates — was among his biggest buyers. The gang, led by jailed gangster Neeraj Bawania, has been responsible for a spate of contract killings, extortion rackets, and turf wars against rivals such as the Tillu Tajpuriya gang.
Even after Bawania’s arrest, his network operates actively through associates and foot soldiers across Delhi and the NCR, making the flow of weapons critical to its survival. Similarly, the Afsar gang, another emerging group in the city’s crime landscape, was a regular client.
The arms haul indicates that both gangs were in the process of stockpiling weapons, either for upcoming gang rivalries or for expanding extortion operations across Delhi-NCR.
Officials stress that such seizures are not merely about recovering weapons but about preventing future gang wars and saving lives. Delhi has witnessed bloody clashes between rival gangs in court complexes, public areas, and residential neighbourhoods in recent years. The availability of sophisticated firearms directly fuels this cycle of violence.
Had these pistols reached the streets, police believe they would have been deployed in contract killings, intimidation of businessmen, extortion threats, and violent showdowns. The bust, therefore, is being hailed as a preventive strike against the strengthening of criminal syndicates.
The Crime Branch is now investigating deeper layers of the arms supply racket, including:
- The identities of manufacturers and financiers in UP supplying these weapons.
- The network of couriers and transporters ferrying consignments into Delhi.
- The full list of gangs and individuals who received weapons from Shajid.
More arrests are expected as police widen the net to dismantle the syndicate’s roots in both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
