BANGALORE, July 19: The recent spate of shoot-outs and spiralling crime graph in the city, has convinced senior police officers that Bangalore is emerging as the new market for sophisticated arms and ammunition.

Firearms of all kinds are available in the arms bazaar, which has sprung up in the city over the last few years, and all that is needed to procure a weapon is the `right contact' -- a fact acknowledged by the underworld as well as the police.

Senior police officers are considering holding introspection meetings with station house officers (SHOs) to check the spurt in crime rate in view of the lack of success in the investigation of many heinous crimes. In private conversations, many officers speak of a nexus between many policemen and rising underworld gangs. This unholy connection is hampering the investigation, they say.

When contacted by The Indian Express, many senior officials attributed the growing crime to lack of professionalism among policemen and and to growing political interference in the routine functioning of the force. Yet another factor influencing the entry of criminals into the city from neighbouring states is ``the pleasing weather and the cosmopolitan ambience of city which has proximity to Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad,'' says a senior police officer. ``Till recently swords and chains were the weapons of gang wars...but in the last five years, the number of such gangs has increased and firearms are being used'', said a police officer.

When this reporter set out to ascertain the availability of weapons, it was found that one could procure any type of weapon and ammunition in Bangalore. Inquiries reveal that the weapons come from Sri Lanka, Kashmir and Punjab. This reporter was offered ammunition of foreign make as well stock smuggled out of the ordinance factories.

``There is a heavy demand for imported ammunition as bullets of Indian make are less effective and ruin the weapon,'' claimed a dealer. ``We get the weapons either from the police or directly from people, mostly terrorists who come in contact with us when they are hard up for money.'' While most of the end-buyers were people from neighbouring states, Bangalore was the market since vigil in the city was not as tight in the neighbouring states, the dealer said.

While imported ammunition is most sought after and highly priced, bullets of Indian-make are available in plenty. Most of the ammunition is direct supply from ordnance factories, albeit smuggled. ``Sometimes we directly get in contact with the personnel at the firing ranges and negotiate the deal. How they account for the ammunition we don't know'', he said. The fact that arms of different carriages had been used in the spate of shoot-outs confirms that weapons of specific carriages meant for armed forces have their way out of armouries.

The other lethal item which is freely available in the market is gelatin sticks used in the blasting of quarries. The deadly substance manufactured in Bangalore fetches a good price in many towns of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The blast in a private bus near Davanagere, killing two people and injuring several others early this week is not an isolated case of an accident as made out by the police.

According to information available to this newspaper, many terrorists from Punjab, Kashmir and Sri Lanka frequent to Bangalore to sell their arms. With the flow of foreign funds drying up after the elections in Jammu and Kashmir and security agencies tightening the noose around terrorists in Punjab, many terrorist groups had been making beeline to Bangalore to sell their arms.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.