New Delhi, April 1 : The police have arrested two men and recovered illegal arms, ammunition, and a vehicle in a proactive operation in East Delhi, officials said on Wednesday.

The action, carried out by the Special Staff of the East District, was described as a significant preventive policing effort aimed at averting a possible criminal incident.

According to a press release issued by the police, the arrests were made following â??real-time intelligence developed through social media monitoring and ground inputs.â??

Acting swiftly on the inputs, the police team laid a trap and intercepted the suspects in the Pandav Nagar area. The accused were identified as Vishal alias Tussu (20), a resident of Trilokpuri, and Anurag alias Budhi (21), a resident of Kalyanpuri.

Police officials said the two were â??intercepted while roaming in a car with suspected intent to commit a crime,â?? indicating that a potential offence was prevented due to timely intervention. During the search operation, the team recovered one country-made pistol, two live cartridges, and a button-actuated knife from their possession. The white car they were travelling in has also been seized.

Highlighting the significance of the operation, the press release stated that â??the operation led to the recovery of illegal firearms, ammunition, and a vehicle, thereby averting a potential threat to public safety.â?? It further noted that â??swift action by Special Staff prevented a potential criminal incidentâ??, underlining the role of surveillance and intelligence-based policing.

A case has been registered under the Arms Act at Pandav Nagar police station, and further investigation is underway. Police are currently interrogating the accused to determine their involvement in other criminal cases.

Efforts are also ongoing to trace the source of the illegal weapons and dismantle the supply network, officials added.

The police statement said that a dedicated team, led by Inspector Jitendra Malik under the supervision of ACP Pawan Kumar, carried out the surveillance and interception. The team, which included Sub Inspector Aman, Head Constable Vineet, HC Vishal, HC Naresh, and Constable Sanoj, relied on both digital monitoring and traditional ground intelligence to track the suspects.

/IANS