Bhubaneswar: Nomads from other states, frequently seen begging on pavements and traffic junctions in the city, have come under the scanner of the Bhubaneswar police amid intelligence inputs suggesting that organised arms smugglers are exploiting them as carriers and storage agents.The lead has emerged at a time when the city has witnessed a series of firing incidents in the recent past, raising concerns among law enforcement agencies over the circulation of illegal weapons.Police said they recently came across a video showing a woman nomad allegedly carrying firearms. “We are verifying the authenticity of the video and trying to locate her. Such inputs cannot be ignored because organised criminal networks often use unsuspecting or vulnerable individuals to evade police surveillance,” a senior police officer told TOI.According to police sources, a dedicated team has been formed to analyse the supply chains, trafficking routes and source networks linked to illegal firearms seized in the city in recent months.Official data show that at least 48 illegal firearms were seized and 62 people arrested in Bhubaneswar during the past year. A majority of the recovered weapons were countrymade pistols, which police said are commonly used in robberies, extortion attempts and gang rivalries.Most of these firearms were locally manufactured and smuggled from different states, particularly Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.The police have identified several hotspots where such weapons frequently change hands. Districts like Khurda, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Ganjam have reported multiple cases of firearm seizures.“Our focus is not only on those found in possession of weapons but also on dismantling the entire supply chain, right from manufacturers and transporters to local facilitators and receivers,” said the senior officer.Police said sustained action against illegal arms networks has helped avert several potential crimes.“We are keeping a close watch on interstate arms trafficking routes and strengthening intelligence gathering at the ground level. Illegal firearms often enter Odisha through organised networks operating across state borders,” the officer said.Appealing for public cooperation, police urged residents to share information about suspicious activities or illegal weapons promptly.