Bangalore:
Illegal firearms smugglers are increasingly employing women to ferry the consignments by rail to escape scrutiny by the police.
The firearms are brought to the city from Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai. The buyers are expected to foot the bill of travel and boarding of the women, besides paying the price of the illegal weapon.
A source, privy to the illegal arms trade, said that crude handguns, known as katta, were procured from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh. He added that there was an increased demand for kattas, and he himself has been supplying five to six pistols each month.
"We are a group of six members. Procuring these weapons is easy as they are easily available in cities such as Aliganj, Rampur and Farrukhabad," he said.
The source added that small-time goons preferred kattas, since they were cheaper. They cost Rs 12,000 a piece, though the actual price would be about Rs 3,000.
"This includes travel and boarding expenses, besides commission. Female couriers are preferred most of the time since assigning men could be risky at times. The weapons are smuggled in handbags or schoolbags. If the consignment is of not more than two guns -- which is not usually the case -- they are lodged into a holster and brought in. We usually use railways as we have good contacts. Delivering a large consignment takes about 15 days," he said.
The source added that a katta was considered more lethal than a pistol or revolver.
"There are outside chances of surviving if you are shot at by a pistol or revolver. But if you are shot by a country made gun, chances of surviving are slim since the bullet makes a huge hole while piercing into the body," he claimed.
When asked about weapons other than kattas, he said they were also available, though such firearms were not much in demand in the city.
"A sophisticated pistol, revolver or a semi-automatic handgun is more expensive as it costs between Rs 25,000 to Rs 45,000, excluding travel and boarding expenses. There is an added risk in smuggling in these weapons, as these weapons are procured from Mumbai. However, we bring in four to five handguns a month. These arms are mostly delivered around 3 am. We receive a call and we have to rush to the location where these weapons are brought in," he added.
The source further said that they seldom keep the firearms with them. Instead, they hand it over to the buyers as the earliest, to avoid getting into trouble.
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