Five held in Rajapur and Lanja with guns and cartridges for hunting

Rajapur: Rajapur and Lanja police have detained five people in two separate operations for carrying unlicensed guns, cartridges and torches to hunt wild animals. Cases have been registered against the suspects in both instances under the Arms Act.

Patrolling at midnight on Friday under an 'All Out Operation', Rajapur police noticed three people moving suspiciously in the Kalasvali area. Assistant inspector Deepjyoti Patil and colleagues searched them and found an unlicensed country-made muzzle-loading gun and torches. Goods worth ₹2,10,320, including a pickup vehicle, were seized, and a case was registered against the three at Rajapur police station.

In the second operation, a Lanja police patrol found two people lying in wait in the undergrowth at Ovlacha Danda on the Anjanari-Shirambavli road. A 12-bore gun, four live cartridges and a torch, together worth ₹10,940, were seized from them.

Preliminary inquiries show the weapons were kept to hunt wild animals illegally, police said. They are investigating where the weapons came from and whether anyone else was involved.

Source: Ratnagiri Khabardar