A group of four arms dealers has been apprehended in Karachi for supplying weapons to young people, terrorists, and criminals. The group sold weapons using social media, claims the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), which is responsible for the arrest.
CTD official Raja Umer Khattab told the media that the four inter-provincial arms dealers named Azmatullah, Bashir Khan, Fazal Jan, and Farmanullah, were arrested in different areas of Karachi.
These four were reportedly involved in smuggling weapons and advertising them on social media.
Arms dealers and shopkeepers of Peshawar, Darra Adamkhel, Dera Ismail Khan and other districts were involved in smuggling of arms whose modes operandi was to publicise the arms dealing through Facebook and Whatsapp groups.
He said that interested buyers would message the arms dealers on WhatsApp and discuss the final price for a weapon of their choice. Half of the agreed amount was paid through online apps while the rest would be delivered to their hometowns.
The dealers would also make money by helping buyers get fake licenses for the arms. These licenses would be fake, but their documents would make them appear legitimate.
The official added:
Arms dealers and private security companies in Karachi and other districts of Sindh province are also involved in illegal smuggling of weapons.
Earlier this year, a large cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from a water tank in a hospital located in Karachi’s Shah Faisal area. According to Karachi Police’s Senior Superintendent Faisal Bashir, the cache included anti-aircraft guns, Kalashnikov rifles, hand grenades, and more. All of the recovered weapons and ammunition were sent to the forensics department for further investigation.
Before that, in January 2022, another weapons cache was recovered from a house in Karachi’s Old City Area, reported ARY News.