By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
In a major breakthrough, an arms smuggler was arrested from Chorgalia area in Nainital district of Uttarakhand along with a big cache of arms and ammunition under the operation Prahar, police said on Sunday.
The operation was conducted under the direction of Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr. Manjunath T.C. as part of an intensified drive against criminals and illegal arms trafficking in the district. The joint team comprised personnel from the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Chorgalia Police Station.
Acting on a specific tip-off, the police took a suspicious man into custody near the road leading to the Galfar Gate. During the search, the police recovered eight country-made pistols and ten live cartridges from the accused’s bag. The seizure included two 12-bore country-made pistols along with six live cartridges and six .315-bore country-made pistols with four live cartridges.
The accused has been identified as Riyasat (30), son of Rais Ahmad, a resident of Nakulia village in Sitarganj area of Udham Singh Nagar district.
Following the recovery, the police registered an FIR (No. 30/2026) under Section 3/25 of the Arms Act at Chorgalia Police Station.
Police officials said that further investigation is underway to ascertain the accused’s criminal background and identify the source of the illegal firearms as well as the network involved in their procurement and supply.
“This is a big achievement as the operation reflects the district police’s continued commitment to curbing organized crime and preventing the circulation of illegal weapons in the region,” said Dr Manjunath.