In a significant breakthrough for Indian security forces, the notorious arms supplier Salim Pistol, also known as Sheikh Salim, has been apprehended. Salim was captured in Nepal and brought to New Delhi through a coordinated effort involving the Delhi Police Special Cell, Indian intelligence agencies, and Nepal police. His capture is a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle against organized crime and terrorism in the country.
Salim Pistol has been a central figure in supplying sophisticated arms to various gangster networks across India, particularly in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi. His arrest is timely, coinciding with the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) intensified probe into the nexus between domestic gangland operatives and foreign-backed terror outfits. This network, with roots in Pakistan and Canada, has orchestrated targeted killings and terror attacks within India, posing a significant threat to internal security.
Intelligence sources reveal that Salim had strong ties to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and operated under the command of the infamous underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. He was a major conduit for smuggling arms from Pakistan into India, utilizing both drone drops in Punjab and cross-border smuggling through Nepal. The arms supplied by Salim were used for gang wars, targeted killings, and acts of terror, as ongoing investigations have shown.
Complex operations of Salim Pistol
One of the most notable aspects of Salim's operations was his innovative use of drones to deliver arms into India. Once smuggled from Pakistan, these arms, including the Turkish-made Zigana pistols, were dismantled and hidden in vehicle compartments. They were then reassembled by gangsters upon reaching their destination.
These pistols, highly sought after in the criminal underworld, sell for between Rs 4 to Rs 6 lakh in India. The Punjab police are also investigating a case involving a trans-border smuggling network of sophisticated arms operated by the ISI, highlighting the scale and complexity of Salim's operations.
Salim Pistol's arrest is expected to provide crucial leads into the gangster-terror nexus case that the NIA has been probing. His connections with various gangster networks, including the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and Hashim Baba, a notorious gangster from Northeast Delhi, are of particular interest to the authorities. Salim is also believed to have been a mentor to the killers of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moosewala, and his name has surfaced in the murder investigation of Maharashtra politician Baba Siddiqui.
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