Juvenile held with Rs 2 lakh firearms in Thane

Police have apprehended a minor boy after seizing two country-made pistols and some live cartridges from his possession in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Tuesday.

Based on a tip-off, the police laid a trap on a footpath in the Wagle Estate area on Sunday and nabbed the juvenile.

On checking, the boy was found in possession of two country-made pistols and four live cartridges, valued at Rs 2.14 lakh. He did not possess any valid licence and was allegedly intending to sell the weapons illegally, the anti-extortion cell's assistant police inspector Sunil Tarmale said.

The boy, hailing from Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh, has been sent to a remand home, the police said, without specifying his age.

The police have registered a case under the relevant provisions of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act. ''Further investigation is underway to ascertain the source of the weapons and to identify any wider network involved in the illegal procurement and sale of firearms,'' Tarmale said.