67-Year-Old Woman Arms Trafficker Arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell; Sophisticated Pistols Recovered
67-Year-Old Woman Arms Trafficker Arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell; Sophisticated Pistols Recovered
In a major crackdown on illegal arms trafficking in the Delhi–NCR region, the Special Cell of Delhi Police, Northern Range, has arrested a 67-year-old woman who was allegedly a key member of an interstate illegal firearms syndicate. The accused has been identified as Rambiri, a resident of Hastinapur in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the ongoing drive against the growing use of illegal weapons in violent crimes across the national capital and its adjoining areas.
According to senior police officials, four illegal semi-automatic sophisticated pistols along with three additional magazines were recovered from Rambiri’s possession. The arrest was made on January 5, 2025, following nearly six months of sustained intelligence gathering, technical surveillance, and ground-level monitoring of her activities. Police said the recovery of such advanced weapons could have posed a serious threat to public safety if they had reached criminal elements.
The operation was carried out by a Special Cell team of the Northern Range led by Inspector Rakesh Kumar under the close supervision of ACP Rahul Kumar Singh. Officials stated that the action was part of a special campaign launched to dismantle illegal arms networks after a noticeable rise in firing incidents and firearm-related crimes in Delhi–NCR. Acting on precise inputs, the team laid a trap and successfully apprehended the accused.
Investigations revealed that Rambiri had been actively involved in the illegal arms trade for a long time and allegedly supplied weapons to gangsters and hardened criminals. Police said she smartly used her advanced age as a shield to avoid suspicion and escape the attention of law enforcement agencies. Officers revealed that she followed strict precautions during her movements, often leaving her mobile phone at home to prevent location tracking and conducting deals in a highly discreet manner.
Further inquiry revealed that the accused frequently travelled by train to Madhya Pradesh, where she procured illegal firearms from suppliers. These weapons were then transported to Delhi and Meerut and sold to criminals at high prices. Police believe she played a crucial role in bridging the supply chain between weapon manufacturers and end users in the criminal world. A case has been registered under relevant sections of law, and further investigation is underway to identify her suppliers, buyers, and other associates connected to the syndicate.
During interrogation, it also came to light that Rambiri has a long and serious criminal background. She is a widow who lost her husband in 2003 and has two daughters and one son, all of whom are married and living separately. After her husband’s death, she allegedly came in contact with a habitual criminal named Baljinder and gradually became involved in organized crime.
Police records show that she was involved in several high-profile bank robbery cases. In 2008, she played a role in a major bank robbery in Gurgaon, Haryana, where approximately ₹1.48 crore was looted. In the same year, she was also involved in another bank robbery in Jawalapur, Haridwar. In 2009, she and her associates attempted a bank robbery in the Kamla Market area of Delhi. Considering the organized and serious nature of these crimes, a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act was registered against her and her associates in 2009. She was arrested and remained in judicial custody for nearly eight years, from 2009 to 2017.
Police officials said that after her release from jail, Rambiri once again reconnected with her old criminal network and shifted her focus to the illegal arms trade. Her past experience in organized crime gave her a deep understanding of the demand for illegal weapons and the routes used for supply. Using this knowledge, she allegedly rebuilt her criminal activities with caution and precision.
Officials from the Special Cell said multiple teams were deployed over several months to track her movements and verify intelligence inputs before making the arrest. The recovery of sophisticated pistols is expected to significantly disrupt the supply of illegal firearms to criminals operating in Delhi–NCR. Police are now focusing on tracing the source of the weapons in Madhya Pradesh and identifying end users who may have already received arms through this network. Further investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are likely in the coming days.
