Drug peddler turns arms dealer; arrested

A 25-year-old man hailing from Ahmednagar, who was earlier caught in a drug peddling case, has now been arrested by the Anti-Goonda Squad of Pune crime branch for allegedly carrying fire arms. The police have recovered three pistols and one revolver along with 3 live cartridges from him.

The arrested person Dnyaneshwar Narayane Sable (25), who hails from Ahmednagar, reached Pune with the arms on Wednesday. He booked a room at Hotel Arpita on Lohegaon-Wagholi Road.

The police received a tip off about him in the evening and immediately rushed to the hotel. He was nabbed there.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, ACP (crime) Rajendra Bhamare said, “Sable had purchased these firearms from his friend in Ahmednagar. He wanted to sell them off in the city. The three pistols were imitation of foreign pistols. The value of the arms is estimated to be Rs1.10 lakh.”

In the past, Sable used to illegally sell ganja, until in 2012, he was arrested by the Kotwali police in Ahmednagar. Ganja worth Rs10 lakh was recovered from him.

He has been remanded in police custody till Saturday.