Key arms supplier to Lawrence Bishnoi linked gang arrested
The Delhi Police arrested a key arms facilitator linked with the notorious Kala Jathedi-Lawrence Bishnoi gang and believed to have supplied weapons for the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, officials said on Friday.
The accused identified as Rijwan Ansari was wanted in connection with arms supply operations in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, where he had been actively trafficking weapons to dangerous gang elements, police said. “Rijwan Ansari was integral to the arms network that has been supplying illegal firearms to gang members across the NCR region and beyond,” said an official. He was reportedly responsible for equipping members of the gang with firearms used in various criminal activities, including murder and robbery.
“A trap was laid at Nala Chhawla in Dwarka, Delhi, where the accused was intercepted on a stolen scooter. Following a brief chase, our team apprehended him and seized a sophisticated pistol, a country-made firearm, five live cartridges, and the stolen scooter,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjay Bhatia.
Bhatia said that Rijwan’s arms supply operations were closely aligned with Shahbaz Ansari, his cousin and an accomplice in the same gang. Shahbaz, who is currently in judicial custody under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), allegedly played a critical role in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022 by supplying arms to the shooters.
