The Delhi police have arrested a 27-year-old undergraduate student of the School of Open Learning, University of Delhi, for alleged links to an illegal arms network operating across Delhi-NCR, officers said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Abu Talib, was nabbed on April 14 following a tip-off, the police said.

According to an officer, Mr. Talib procured firearms from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh through multiple transactions and planned to use them in retaliatory attacks against rival groups.

Two pistols with magazines, a country-made firearm, 23 livecartridgesand 11 shells were recovered from his possession, the officer said. He added that the student, who is engaged in a wholesale fruit business with his family, had also conducted test-firing of the weapons.

“He has a previous case registered at Farsh Bazar police station in connection with a dispute. Further investigation is under way to identify the supplier and possible links to organised crime networks,” said a police officer.