It appears smuggling of illegal weapons from New Delhi, Bihar, Mumbai and other places into Andhra Pradesh are leading to a rise in ‘gun culture’ in the State.

Though police say that they are maintaining a vigil on criminals and ex-convicts released from jails, criminals and settlement gangs from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Bihar, Delhi and other States are allegedly creating panic by moving with weapons.

“Most of the weapons are being procured from Meerut and some remote villages in Bihar. Criminals are getting country-made weapons, pistols, single barrel guns and others at very less price,” said a senior police official.

A series of incidents of gangsters opening fire or seizure of weapons were reported in Krishna, Guntur, West Godavari and other districts in the last few months.

In Peddavutapalli shootout case, a hired assassin gang from Delhi shot dead astrologers – Gandham Nageswara Rao and his sons, G. Maraiah and G. Pagidi Maraiah – in September last year.

A nine-member gang conspired to kidnap a jeweller of Narsapuram in West Godavari at gun point for ransom a few months ago. Police foiled the abduction bid and arrested the accused. A priest who was carrying a country-made weapon was arrested at Pandit Nehru Bus Station. A software engineer, U. Hanumantha Rao, hired a three-member gang to kill his business partner and uncle, B. Srisaila Vasu, who shot dead the latter at Nandigama last year.

“We are keeping a vigil on local offenders, but criminals from Northern States are disrupting the peaceful atmosphere here,” said City Police Commissioner A.B. Venkateswara Rao.

Weapons are being procured from Meerut and Bihar. Criminals are getting country-made weapons, pistols, single barrel guns and others at very less price

Police officials