Hyderabad : Seven men have been arrested by Commissioner’s task force team for allegedly running a fake arms license racket. The perpetrators used fake seals of license issuing officials & forged the signatures to prepare the fake arms licenses and procured real weapons. This is of great danger to the security of the city as illegal weapons are in circulation and is being used for various purposes by dubious means.
City Police Commissioner Mr.CV Anand IPS presenting the facts of the case in his office and communicating through a press release, said that the mastermind of the racket Altaf Hussain, a resident of Rajouri district- J&K, came o the 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 the 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 started
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 and I Srinivas, xerox shop owner in West Marredpally. 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 of illegal 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.
“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 Mr. 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 DCP Mr. P. Radha Kishan Rao and presented appreciation certificate, cash reward to Mr. Md Khaleel Pasha, Inspector West Zone Task Force Team; SI’s Mr. N. Ranjith Kumar, Mr. P. Mallikarjun, Mr. Md . Mujaffar Ali, Mr. P. Chandramouli and others.
Our Citizen Reporter
Bharat Reddy
Telangana
