The Hindu : Revolver, counterfeit notes seized

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Revolver, counterfeit notes seized

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Nov. 9. A country-made revolver and several counterfeit notes of Rs. 100 and Rs. 50 denominations were seized from two youth by the anti-narcotic squad of the city police late on Saturday night.

The youth, who were arrested by the police, were identified as Shine alias Kannan (27) of Chowara and Johnny (30) of Vizhinjam. They were produced before the Neyyatinkara Judicial First Class Magistrate and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.

The Assistant Commissioner (Anti-Narcotic Squad), Gopi, said the arrests were made on the basis of specific intelligence received by the City Police Commissioner, Rajan Singh. He said Shine was arrested from near the Chowara beach. A few fake Rs. 100 and Rs. 50 notes were recovered from him. On the basis of his statement, police searched the house of Johnny at Pazhayakada near Vizhinjam. Mr. Gopi said the revolver and counterfeit currency amounting to Rs. 2,500 were found in Johnny's house.

According to police, Johnny, who is a private moneylender, procured the country revolver from a contact in the city. The country-made revolver is of .22 calibre and can fire up to six rounds. The gun was found to be locally fashioned. However, the bullets were branded makes commonly used in .22 rifles and pistols.

Police said though the weapon was elementary in design, it could be potent at close range. An official said it was likely that the revolver was made by some blacksmith in the district. It is also possible that the revolver was sourced from North India where such guns (known as `Kattas') are easily available for Rs. 500 and upwards.

An official said that two empty cartridges were found in the breech of the revolver. An investigation was on to find out from where the revolver and counterfeit notes were sourced.

Earlier this year, the Medical College police had seized a country-made revolver and 18 rounds from a gang suspected to be behind several house-breaks and burglaries in the city. The locally made weapon was of .22 caliber.

In December 2001, the Rural police had seized a similar weapon from a two-member gang which attempted an armed robbery at jewellery shop in Kazhakkootam. The weapon was of a higher calibre and it later turned out that one of the accused, a dismissed CRPF personnel, had sourced it from a gunsmith in North India.

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Revolver, counterfeit notes seized