GILGIT: Large caches of weapons were seized and five people arrested in police actions in Diamer and Gilgit on Thursday. Bogus legal documents, including a fake letter from a federal ministry, were also found in the possession of the arrested men.

Officials believe that the weapons were brought to Gilgit-Baltistan for carrying out subversive activities.

In Gilgit, police on information provided intelligence agencies intercepted a vehicle and during search found a large quantity of weapons hidden in its secrete cavities. Two men travelling in the vehicle had been taken into custody. They were identified as Hidayatullah and Mohammad Zaman.

DIG Gilgit Division Gauhar Nasees claimed at a press conference later that the arrested men were weapon suppliers and that the seized weapons were being brought to the city for a terror plot.

He said the seized items included 12 sub-machine guns, 20 9mm pistols, 40 30-bore pistols, two repeaters, 2,500 rounds and 60 firearm magazines.

The other items found in the possessions of the arrested men were 20 fake arms licences, two fake driving licences, a fake letter from the interior ministry and other fake legal documents.

The DIG said the arrested men belonged to a group which also supplied fake educational certificates and degrees to people in Gilgit-Baltistan for Rs10,000 to Rs15,000.

City police station SHO Zahoor Ahmad said that cases had been registered against the arrested men under Section 6/7 and 13AO B of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

He said recovery of more weapons was expected based on information provided by the arrested men. He, however, added that interrogation with them was under way.

In Chilas town of Diamer district, police arrested three people after recovering some weapons from their possession.

The police raided a place in the Chilas bazaar where the weapons were stocked.

The arrested men were identified as Malang Jan, Sardar Ali and Imam Hadi.

The police said the seized weapons included 16 automatic guns and a large quantity of bullets. They said 3kg of charas were also found in the possession of the arrested men.

Gilgit SSP Rana Mansoorul Haq told Dawn that the three men were taken into custody from two different locations. However, he added that the source of weapons’ supply was same.

He claimed that the arrested men were suppliers of weapons and police were trying to find out who receive weapons from them.

Cases have been registered against the arrested men under anti-terrorism acts.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2017