Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) uncovered an illegal pan-India arms smuggling racket and recovered an incredibly uncommon weapon, a pen pistol, in a surprise raid. Actually, a single-shot pistol that folds open to expose a small trigger, it has primarily remained a ghost weapon, appearing in Hollywood blockbusters where CIA operatives frequently use it. It has hitherto gone unnoticed in India. The pen gun, known as the Braverman Stinger since it was manufactured by RJ Braverman from about 1993 to 1997, was modelled after the stinger pen pistols allegedly used by CIA operatives. The FBI named it the Artefact of the Month for October 2018.
According to an officer, the accused hired ironsmiths to make pen guns, which are exclusively used in the United States, France, and Italy, using short clips found on the internet. Azamgarh residents Aftab Alam (45) and Mainuddin Sheikh (40) were detained on Friday. They were detained at the district’s Bilariyaganj police station. According to police, Alam worked as an electrician and in the real estate, whereas Sheikh only worked in the real estate business. UP ATS also seized a large stockpile of guns and ammunition, as well as the production equipment and a cell phone.
A pen gun, a .9mm pistol, a.22mm pistol, a double barrel gun, a single barrel gun, three country made.32 bore pistols, a carbine barrel, and ammunition of all sizes, as well as magazines worth many lakhs, were recovered. Naveen Arora, ADG, ATS, stated that the two obtained raw material from a closed gun shop in the district.
According to the officer, Alam had been arrested twice for murder and dacoity and was involved in the illicit manufacture and smuggling of weapons. Sheikh’s ties in Nepal, Pakistan, and Dubai, as well as money trafficking through the ‘hawala channel,’ have come to light and are being investigated.
