Lucknow: Woman held in with firearms, exposes gang’s courier network

A woman involved in supplying firearms was arrested at the Qaiserbagh bus stand in Lucknow on Wednesday morning. Police recovered four .32 calibre pistols from her possession, which she had allegedly brought from Meerut to deliver to a criminal gang in Jaunpur’s Shahganj area, according to senior police officials.

The special task force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police identified the accused as Muskan Tiwari, 24, a resident of Rudauli village under Sarpatha police station limits in Jaunpur. The STF stated that seven magazines were also seized from her possession. Each pistol is estimated to be worth around ₹1.5 lakh.

During interrogation, Muskan disclosed that the gang led by Shubham Singh recruits rural and economically disadvantaged women, luring them with the promise of quick money. Women couriers were allegedly paid an additional ₹50,000 for each successful delivery. The gang leader also assured them of support for their families in case of any trouble.

Police said Muskan had previously been arrested with her accomplice Satyam Yadav in Sultanpur on December 15, 2024, while carrying two pistols. Recently released on bail, she was again found involved in the illegal arms trade.

The STF revealed that Shubham Singh’s gang operates across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Delhi, and other states, sourcing firearms from various regions and supplying them to gangs in eastern UP.

The official added that the gang initially deployed members in pairs to smuggle weapons but shifted to sending individuals after repeated arrests. Despite the change in strategy, Muskan was tracked and caught during her recent attempt. Police said she was assigned to collect the firearms from a youth in Meerut whom she could identify by face but did not know by name.