Meerut Arms Smuggling Gang Busted, 4 Arrested; Police Examine Alleged Lawrence Bishnoi Supply Link
Meerut Police recovered seven .32-bore pistols, 20 live cartridges and vehicles after an operation near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. Police-based reporting says accused Aamir allegedly admitted supplying more than 100 illegal pistols and investigators are examining claims of previous supplies to peo
a police operation against an alleged interstate illegal-arms trafficking network near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway
Table of Contents (15 sections)
Meerut Police have arrested four men in an alleged interstate illegal-arms trafficking operation and recovered seven pistols and 20 live cartridges, with investigators now examining claims that weapons from the network had previously reached people associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The operation took place during the night of September 13-14 near the Achhraunda-Bahadurpur underpass on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, according to police-based reports.
Police identified the alleged principal buyer and distributor as Mohammad Aamir of Welcome Colony in Delhi. Three men from Meerut were also arrested after police carried out a search in the area.
The Lawrence Bishnoi connection requires careful qualification.
Dainik Jagran, reporting details attributed to the police investigation, said questioning indicated that Aamir had supplied illegal pistols to people connected with the Lawrence Bishnoi network as well as the network of alleged arms trafficker Anil Banji. Other initial reports from The Times of India and Amar Ujala confirmed the arms-trafficking operation, arrests and recoveries but did not independently establish the Bishnoi connection.
The accurate formulation is therefore that Meerut Police are investigating an alleged weapons-supply link to the Bishnoi network, not that the arrested men have already been proven to be members of that gang.
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The investigation began with two alleged local peddlers arrested in April and later expanded across southeast Delhi, Noida and Faridabad. Police say the latest operation exposed an alleged supply chain involving distributors, transporters, suppliers and a stockist.
One of the men accused by Punjab Police of killing Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjit Singh in Amritsar has died following an exchange of fire with police, while investigators say they are examining an alleged cross-border conspiracy involving a Pakistan-based handler. A second suspect remains at large.
Key Takeaways
Meerut Police arrested four men in an alleged interstate illegal-arms trafficking case following an operation near the Achhraunda-Bahadurpur underpass.
Police identified one accused as Mohammad Aamir, a resident of Delhi’s Welcome Colony, and said he was injured during an exchange of fire.
Three other accused from Meerut were subsequently apprehended during a search operation.
Police recovered seven illegal .32-bore pistols, 20 live cartridges, one spent cartridge, a stolen motorcycle and a scooter.
Police say the alleged network supplied illegal firearms across Meerut, Delhi and other parts of the NCR.
One detailed police-based report says questioning indicated that Aamir had previously supplied weapons to people associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi and alleged international arms trafficker Anil Banji networks.
That Bishnoi connection remains a police investigative claim and should not be reported as an independently established syndicate link.
Reports differ on whether the alleged network had previously moved more than 100 or around 150 firearms. Investigators are examining its full supply history.
Four Arrested Near Delhi-Meerut Expressway
Meerut’s Partapur police and the city SWAT team carried out the joint operation after receiving information that illegal firearms were expected to be exchanged near the expressway underpass.
Police said three men from Meerut were expected to meet Aamir, who had travelled from Delhi, for a firearms delivery.
According to the police account, officers surrounded the area and asked the suspects to surrender.
Police allege that Aamir opened fire while attempting to escape.
Officers returned fire, and Aamir suffered a bullet injury to his leg before being taken into custody and admitted to hospital.
The exchange of fire is the police version of the encounter and remains subject to the normal evidentiary and judicial process.
Three Other Suspects Caught After Search
The other three men initially fled, according to police.
They were subsequently apprehended during a combing operation.
Reports identify them as Shoaib, Shadan alias Pakodi and Sajid. The Times of India rendered one name as Shubhe Alvi and identified Shadan as Shadan Mansuri, illustrating minor differences in English transliteration across reports.
All three are reported to be residents of Meerut.
Police subsequently produced the accused before a court, according to Amar Ujala.
Arrest and remand do not establish guilt. The allegations must still be proven through admissible evidence.
Seven Pistols and 20 Live Cartridges Recovered
Meerut SSP BBGTS Murthy said police recovered:
Seven illegal .32-bore pistols
20 live cartridges
One spent cartridge
A motorcycle reported stolen
A scooter allegedly used by the accused
The Times of India reported the recovery directly from the SSP’s statement.
Amar Ujala separately confirmed the seven pistols, 20 cartridges, motorcycle and scooter. It said the motorcycle had previously been reported stolen at Delhi Gate police station.
The firearms will be important forensic evidence as investigators attempt to identify their source and establish whether any recovered weapons are connected to earlier criminal cases.
Police Say Aamir Was Receiving the Weapons
Dainik Jagran reported that the three Meerut accused had allegedly arrived to deliver seven .32-bore pistols and cartridges to Aamir.
According to that report, investigators believe Aamir functioned as a distributor who supplied weapons onward to criminals and organised groups in Delhi and surrounding areas.
Hindustan similarly reported that police described Aamir as a key figure in a network supplying illegal pistols across Delhi-NCR.
The precise hierarchy and roles within the alleged syndicate remain under investigation.
More Than 100 Pistols Allegedly Supplied Earlier
Police are also examining the historical scale of the network.
Jagran reported that Aamir told investigators he had already supplied more than 100 pistols.
Hindustan separately reported the police claim that Aamir had moved more than 100 illegal pistols through Delhi-NCR.
Amar Ujala gave a higher figure, reporting that the wider group had supplied more than 150 weapons in Meerut and surrounding areas.
Because those totals differ, the exact historical number should not be presented as settled.
The best-supported formulation is that police believe the network had already distributed more than 100 illegal firearms and are investigating the full number.
What Is the Lawrence Bishnoi Connection?
This is the most sensitive part of the case.
Jagran reported that, during the investigation, police learned that Aamir had previously supplied firearms to members associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and to people linked with alleged international arms trafficker Anil Banji.
That is significant if corroborated, but several distinctions are necessary.
First, police have not publicly established that the four arrested men are themselves members of the Lawrence Bishnoi organisation.
Second, the reported link concerns alleged past weapons supplies, rather than evidence that the seven pistols recovered in the September operation were specifically destined for Bishnoi-linked individuals.
Third, the claim currently rests on police questioning and investigative reporting. Independent documentary evidence establishing the exact recipients of earlier firearms has not been publicly released.
A factual headline should therefore refer to an alleged supply link being investigated, rather than declaring the arrested group to be a confirmed “Lawrence Bishnoi gang”.
Initial Reports Did Not All Mention Bishnoi
Cross-checking the coverage is important.
The Times of India’s September 14 report confirmed an interstate and inter-district illegal-arms ring, the arrest of four men, the police encounter and the seizure of seven pistols and 20 cartridges. It did not identify the Lawrence Bishnoi network as a confirmed recipient.
Amar Ujala likewise reported the broader arms-smuggling network and said police were examining which gangs and individuals were buying weapons from the accused.
Jagran subsequently provided the specific Bishnoi and Anil Banji allegation.
Taken together, these reports support writing that investigators have uncovered a substantial arms network and that a possible Bishnoi supply connection has emerged during questioning — but not that the connection is already conclusively proven.
Weapons Allegedly Moved Through WhatsApp Contacts
Police are also investigating how potential buyers and suppliers communicated.
Amar Ujala reported that accused persons allegedly used WhatsApp groups to discuss firearms and connect buyers with weapons. Police seized their mobile phones and began examining contacts and group activity.
The digital investigation could help identify additional buyers, intermediaries and sources.
Phone records may also be important in testing the claim that weapons were previously supplied to organised criminal groups.
Investigators Looking for Source of Pistols
Finding the origin of the pistols is now a central part of the investigation.
Police have said they are examining where the accused obtained the weapons before allegedly redistributing them through Meerut, Delhi and other parts of the NCR.
Illegal-arms networks often involve several levels — manufacturers or source suppliers, transporters, local distributors and end buyers.
Investigators will need to establish those connections through recovered phones, financial transactions, previous cases and interrogation evidence.
Separate Gorakhpur Arms Case Should Not Be Confused With Meerut Operation
A second major illegal-arms investigation in Uttar Pradesh has also been reported this week, creating potential confusion.
On September 15, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force arrested five people in Gorakhpur in a separate alleged arms syndicate that investigators say used Instagram and other social-media platforms to reach buyers.
The STF said it was probing possible links between that eastern Uttar Pradesh network and Bishnoi-associated figures.
That is not the same case as the Meerut operation.
The Meerut case involves four arrests near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and seven recovered pistols.
The Gorakhpur case involves five separate arrests and a different alleged supply network operating across eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Merging the two investigations would produce an inaccurate account.
Police Encounter Also Requires Due-Process Language
Police say Aamir fired at officers and was injured after police returned fire.
That account has been consistently reported across The Times of India, Amar Ujala and other outlets.
However, as with any police encounter, the sequence should remain attributed to police unless independently established through forensic evidence or judicial scrutiny.
The fact that an accused was injured during the operation does not itself prove the allegations against him.
What Happens Next
Police are examining the arrested men’s phones, contacts and previous transactions.
Investigators are also attempting to identify:
The original source of the recovered firearms
Other distributors allegedly working with the group
People who bought weapons from the network
Whether earlier pistols supplied by the accused were used in criminal cases
Whether the alleged Lawrence Bishnoi and Anil Banji links can be independently corroborated
The actual number of weapons previously trafficked
Meerut SSP Murthy said police were searching for additional associates linked to the alleged network.
Further arrests are therefore possible, but none should be assumed until officially announced.
Bottom Line
Meerut Police have confirmed the arrest of four men in an alleged interstate illegal-arms trafficking operation near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
The accused include Delhi resident Mohammad Aamir and three men from Meerut. Police say Aamir was injured after allegedly firing at officers during the operation. Seven illegal .32-bore pistols, 20 live cartridges, a spent cartridge, a stolen motorcycle and a scooter were recovered.
Investigators believe the network had previously distributed more than 100 firearms across Meerut, Delhi and the NCR, although published estimates of the total vary.
The reported Lawrence Bishnoi connection should be treated more cautiously.
One detailed police-based report says questioning revealed previous firearms supplies to people associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi and Anil Banji networks.
That makes the Bishnoi link a legitimate investigative angle, but not yet a proven fact that the four arrested men were members of the Bishnoi gang or that the weapons seized in this particular operation were intended for it.
Police are now examining phones, contacts, buyers and the source of the weapons as the investigation continues.
Key Takeaway
Four men arrested in Meerut interstate arms-trafficking case.
Seven pistols and 20 cartridges recovered near Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
Police examining alleged past supplies to Lawrence Bishnoi-linked individuals.
Bishnoi connection remains under investigation, not proven membership.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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