Surendranagar, Mar 30 (PTI) As many as 25 weapons were seized and 21 persons detained in Gujarat's Surendranagar district for allegedly obtaining arms licences from Nagaland and Manipur through suspicious means and buying firearms using them, police said Sunday.

Of the 21 detained, 17 bought 25 weapons worth about Rs 25 lakh, while seven others had only got licences made in their names, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Nikunj Patel.

Also Read | Shahjahanpur: Man Arrested on Charges of Raping, Threatening Woman in Uttar Pradesh.

The official said that 14 of these firearm owners have antecedents, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion and mineral theft. A probe is underway to ascertain if the other three have any criminal history, he said.

The official said police recently got input that some persons in Surendranagar district had obtained arms licences from other states, especially two northeastern states.

Also Read | Train Derailment in Odisha: 1 Killed, 7 Injured As Bengaluru-Kamakhya AC Superfast Express Derails Near Nergund Station in Cuttack.

Police subsequently identified 21 such persons who had got licences from Manipur and Nagaland through agents based in Gujarat, Haryana and the two north-eastern states with the help of bogus documents, the official said.

Using the licences, 17 of them collectively bought 5 pistols, 12 revolvers, and 8 Barbour rifles, from Gujarat and other states. Eight of these individuals kept two weapons each, he said.

“Further action has been taken by seizing the weapons and licences to conduct a thorough investigation into the suspicious licence issue,” said the official.

A team of the district special operations group was sent to the northeastern states to question people from whom licences were obtained, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)