Hyderabad: In spite of the city police cracking down on the sale of illegal arms including swords and daggers, anti-social elements and rowdies are however finding ways and means to buy weapons and smuggle those into Hyderabad. While police officials have been able to trace back weapons to cities like Nanded where those were sourced from, they have not had any luck in finding the sources.
Last week May 17, two groups led by notorious rowdy sheeters reportedly clashed under the Habeebnagar police station, leading to around half a dozen persons getting unjured. During the clash, swords, daggers and iron rods were used, which the police have admitted to. The Habeebnagar police arrested 15 people and efforts are on to identify more people who participated in the clash.
The Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force teams often nab people possessing a sword or daggers and seize the weapons. However, the police has not been able to reach the persons who sell it to local people, mostly unsocial elements.
“The police on record had maintained that the weapons were purchased from Nanded or Bidar. We have not seen anyone from these places who sold the weapons to local people here getting arrested,” complained Ahmed Shareef, a local social worker from Habeebnagar in Hyderabad.
According to sources, weapons like daggers and swords are brought to Hyderabad by some unemployed youth who hang around rowdy sheeters and the latter keep it for their protection. The weapons are also sold to the local youth who use it to display and dance with during marriage functions and other get-togethers in Hyderabad.
“The police identify and pick up the youngsters after videos go viral on social media platforms. Never in our history have the police been able to nab the person who was selling it and earning money,” lamented Shafeeq Baig, a resident of Tallabkatta in Hyderabad’s Old City.
Sources further said that the weapons from Nanded and Degloor are brought to the city by the youth who frequently hover between the two cities. “The weapons are concealed in trucks carrying bananas and smuggled into Hyderabad. Local contacts take delivery of the weapons and sell it later to people,” said sources.
When contacted, an official of the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force said whenever they get information, culprits are caught and legal action is initiated. “Whenever our teams go to other cities to identify and arrest the sellers, they however escape. We don’t get the desired support there,” the official remarked.
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