19 private security personnel held in Kerala for carrying firearms without license

KOCHI: Kerala police on Tuesday arrested 19 persons, employed by a security agency here, for allegedly carrying firearms without a license.

Police had earlier in the day seized 19 guns from the security personnel employed by the firm which is engaged in providing security to vehicles carrying cash for ATMs.

Police said the guns were seized from the head office of SISCO, a cash logistics company, following an inspection.

Police have also seized around 100 rounds of ammunition and arrested 18 persons who were allegedly using the firearms. They also arrested a person, Vinod Kumar, who had brought these people for employment here, police said.

"All the arrested are from Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. Eighteen of them, working as security guards, were using the guns," police said in a statement. The guns were seized from the room where they were residing.

Police said the inspection was in the wake of similar case registered at Karamana police station in Thiruvananthapuram and that the same company was involved.

Police have contacted the Rajouri ADM to get the details of the guns and its licenses.

Earlier this week, the police took into custody five men from Jammu and Kashmir hired by a private security agency here for allegedly having a fake gun license.