A search operation is underway in Rajasthan’s Karauli district following the theft of a 400-year-old historic cannon from Narwar Fort in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district. The cannon, weighing around 3,500 kilograms and valued at Rs 3-5 crore in the international antique market, was stolen on July 15. Rajasthan Police, acting on intelligence from Madhya Pradesh Police, conducted the search in Gavda Meena village under Hindaun Sadar police station limits.
The operation involved excavation at various sites using JCB machines, with a metal detector team from Bharatpur assisting in the search for the missing cannon. Despite efforts involving over 50 police personnel and digging at multiple locations, the cannon was not found. Authorities suspect that the stolen cannon may have been hidden in the village based on specific leads shared by Shivpuri Police.
Investigations suggest that the theft was meticulously planned, with the perpetrators wrapping the cannon in mattresses to protect it, lowering it from the fort using an iron trolley, and then loading it onto a transport vehicle. The incident has exposed security vulnerabilities at Narwar Fort, where the theft occurred. The involvement of an organized international antique smuggling network is suspected in the case.
