‘Partial success’ : Dozens booked in raids on gun shops
Bad bookkeeping, overstocking cases found, but claims abound that big fish were tipped off
PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE:
Surprise checks at gun shops across Punjab have resulted in several cases being registered against unscrupulous dealers, but the police still managed to botch the raids as some dealers got wind of the raids.
The campaign, ordered by the inspector general of Punjab police, is still being called a ‘partial success’, many arms dealers were able to ‘disappear’ weapons which were not listed in their official stocks, sources claimed.
The Punjab Home Department has halted the renewal of licences for weapons repair shops amid the preparation of new stand operating procedures, but it has permitted gunsmiths to continue their work.
Faisalabad gang running big guns from abroad
During the inspection, the police allegedly harassed the gunsmiths and other workers for having expired licences. Sources in the home department suggested that the operation would have gone more smoothly if local weapons branch staffers accompanied the raiding parties.
Sources said that some days back, the police had inspected weapons stores across Punjab at the order of the IGP, which resulted in around a dozen cases being registered.
Police was joined by civilian intelligence officials and staff from the DC office, but the raiding parties were not aware of the inspection criteria under the arms act.
Under Section 58 of the Punjab Arms Act 2017, the DC forms a committee for the inspection of arms dealers. All members of the committee must be above 16 and the committee must include representatives of the DC office, the DPO, and the civil defence department.
Also, if any law enforcement body needs to go into an arms shop in an extraordinary situation, the DC must be informed within 24 hours of the incident.
Huge cache of weapons seized during raids in K-P, Balochistan: ISPR
According to sources, more than 500 arms dealers and the arms repairing shops were checked. During the checking, there were some conflicts and harsh words were exchanged between the teams and gunsmiths at different places.
Police officers took a hard stance on the stockpiling issue, which is why arms dealers moved their stocks elsewhere without properly listing it in their records.
More ‘resourceful’ gun shop owners, which knew of the raiding party’s schedule hours in advance, moved large quantities of arms and ammunition from their shops, the sources claimed.
The Punjab IGP and chief secretary had agreed on the date of the inspection a week ago and had sent their instructions to DCs and DPOs. The ‘same information’ wound up with gun shop owners, who managed to hide illegal stocks, the sources said.
Sources at local gun shops told The Express Tribune that the surprise checking would have yielded effective results if the teams had a better knowledge of rules and regulations. They claimed the police registered some cases incorrectly on technical grounds and the people booked would easily get stay orders from courts. They said the government itself stopped the renewal of licences so it makes no sense that the police are taking ‘action’ just to appease the chief minister.
Punjab Police spokesperson Nayab Haider said the campaign of checking gun shops across Punjab has led to the police forwarding recommendations to cancel the licences of 14 dealers for maintaining incomplete records, while 18 cases have been registered for overstocking.
Haider stated that the police, intelligence, and representatives of the DC office were included in the inspection teams.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2019.
Surprise checks at gun shops across Punjab have resulted in several cases being registered against unscrupulous dealers, but the police still managed to botch the raids as some dealers got wind of the raids.
The campaign, ordered by the inspector general of Punjab police, is still being called a ‘partial success’, many arms dealers were able to ‘disappear’ weapons which were not listed in their official stocks, sources claimed.
The Punjab Home Department has halted the renewal of licences for weapons repair shops amid the preparation of new stand operating procedures, but it has permitted gunsmiths to continue their work.
Faisalabad gang running big guns from abroad
During the inspection, the police allegedly harassed the gunsmiths and other workers for having expired licences. Sources in the home department suggested that the operation would have gone more smoothly if local weapons branch staffers accompanied the raiding parties.
Sources said that some days back, the police had inspected weapons stores across Punjab at the order of the IGP, which resulted in around a dozen cases being registered.
Police was joined by civilian intelligence officials and staff from the DC office, but the raiding parties were not aware of the inspection criteria under the arms act.
Under Section 58 of the Punjab Arms Act 2017, the DC forms a committee for the inspection of arms dealers. All members of the committee must be above 16 and the committee must include representatives of the DC office, the DPO, and the civil defence department.
Also, if any law enforcement body needs to go into an arms shop in an extraordinary situation, the DC must be informed within 24 hours of the incident.
Huge cache of weapons seized during raids in K-P, Balochistan: ISPR
According to sources, more than 500 arms dealers and the arms repairing shops were checked. During the checking, there were some conflicts and harsh words were exchanged between the teams and gunsmiths at different places.
Police officers took a hard stance on the stockpiling issue, which is why arms dealers moved their stocks elsewhere without properly listing it in their records.
More ‘resourceful’ gun shop owners, which knew of the raiding party’s schedule hours in advance, moved large quantities of arms and ammunition from their shops, the sources claimed.
The Punjab IGP and chief secretary had agreed on the date of the inspection a week ago and had sent their instructions to DCs and DPOs. The ‘same information’ wound up with gun shop owners, who managed to hide illegal stocks, the sources said.
Sources at local gun shops told The Express Tribune that the surprise checking would have yielded effective results if the teams had a better knowledge of rules and regulations. They claimed the police registered some cases incorrectly on technical grounds and the people booked would easily get stay orders from courts. They said the government itself stopped the renewal of licences so it makes no sense that the police are taking ‘action’ just to appease the chief minister.
Punjab Police spokesperson Nayab Haider said the campaign of checking gun shops across Punjab has led to the police forwarding recommendations to cancel the licences of 14 dealers for maintaining incomplete records, while 18 cases have been registered for overstocking.
Haider stated that the police, intelligence, and representatives of the DC office were included in the inspection teams.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2019.