Army Soldier Arrested in Meerut for Illegal Possession of 70 AK-47 Rounds
An active-duty Army soldier was taken into custody late Tuesday night in Meerut after being found with 70 AK-47 cartridges. This incident raises significant concerns regarding the handling of ammunition and its potential illegal distribution. The soldier, identified as Rahul Kumar, hails from Nagli Azad village and is currently assigned to the counter-terrorism battalion at the Mechanised Infantry Centre and School in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
The arrest was executed by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in coordination with the Meerut police, following a tip that suggested illegal transportation of ammunition. Rahul was stopped near the Rapid Rail station at Modiouram outpost while traveling in a car. A subsequent search uncovered 70 live rounds of AK-47 ammunition in his possession.
An FIR registered at the Pallavpuram police station noted that Rahul was in possession of his Army identification at the time of arrest. He faces charges under Sections 7 and 25(1-AA) of the Arms Act, 1959.
During initial interrogation, it was disclosed that the cartridges were purportedly retained from Rahul’s earlier assignment in Jammu and Kashmir, where he was involved in anti-terror operations. He confessed to not returning the surplus ammunition to Army depots and instead took them home while he was on leave.
Rahul stated that a contact in Meerut’s Shastri Nagar, who claimed to be affiliated with the Special Task Force (STF), requested the ammunition, alleging his own had been lost. Rahul agreed to deliver the rounds during his leave.
The planned exchange reportedly encountered complications. Upon reaching the designated meeting spot near a college, Rahul’s contact did not appear. Instead, an unidentified individual approached Rahul, to whom he allegedly tossed the ammunition. He then attempted to escape but was promptly caught by the authorities.
Following the arrest, senior Army officials arrived on the scene and commenced a parallel military investigation. Authorities are currently probing the method through which the ammunition was removed and are assessing if others are involved in a larger illegal arms trafficking network.
This case has prompted increased scrutiny within defense and security sectors, emphasizing the dangers of ammunition diversion and highlighting the necessity for more rigorous inventory control measures in sensitive assignments.
