Six persons held with two pistols

KATHMANDU: Police have arrested six persons with two unlicensed firearms from different places of Kathmandu.

They were found to be hatching a robbery plot, said police. Beg Bahadur Tamang, 33, Sandesh Tamang, 22, Kaji Tamang, 28, and Prem Gurung, 22, of Dhading, Samrat Rai, 24, of Sunsari and Sunil Tamang, 19, of Kathmandu were arrested yesterday.

Police first arrested Beg Bahadur, Sunil and Samrat with a pistol from Kalanki. Cops in civvies then laid an ambush for other gang members in Jhyaple Khola of Chandragiri Municipality based on the statement given by the trio that Sandesh, Kaji and Prem were coming to Kathmandu with one more firearm to join the team.

SSP Sarbendra Khanal, newly appointed MPCD in-charge, said the intelligence team foiled a series of potential robberies in Kathmandu with the arrest of the six-member armed gang with two pistols. A 9mm pistol reading ‘only for army supply’ and a No 11 Auto USA Pistol, three rounds of bullet and three police uniforms have been seized from them.

“They are also suspected to be trying to commit robbery and extort their targets with firearms in police uniform. We have launched an investigation to establish the origin of the pistols and police uniforms and their crime plots,” SSP Khanal informed.

MPCD records show Beg Bahadur was a repeat offender of robbery in Kathmandu and was involved in smuggling and trading in small arms for long. Similarly, Sunil was recently released from jail after doing time on a motorcycle theft charge.

‘Will curb trafficking’

KATHMANDU: MPCD in-charge SSP Sarbendra Khanal has said its serious attention has been drawn to the surge in the incidents of human trafficking in the post-disaster situation and informed that MPCD was coordinating with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Central Child Welfare Board, Immigration Office and the Department of Labour and Employment to curb the crime. “It has come to our notice that the incidents of trafficking of women and children have increased of late. Therefore, we have stepped up action,” he informed.