Police in Uttar Pradesh have arrested a constable from Sonbhadra district for allegedly smuggling cartridges from government armouries and selling them to Maoists, an official said Friday.

Constable Lok Nath, posted at the Churk Police Lines in Sonbhadra, some 350 km from Lucknow, used to operate the racket with the help of some police personnel.

According to police, Nath had close links with a retired sub-inspector Yashodanandan Singh, who was arrested from Rampur district in April last on charges of smuggling arms and ammunition from government armouries to Maoists.

Singh used to operate the racket in various districts of Uttar Pradesh in assistance with some police personnel.

'Investigations reveal that Lok Nath also used to work for Yashodanandan Singh. A team of Rampur police arrested Lok Nath in assistance with the Sonbhadra police,' investigating officer and police inspector R.P. Singh said Friday.

'We are interrogating Lok Nath to find his links with other police personnel in Sonbhadra,' he added.

With the arrest of Yashodanandan Singh and five others, including two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and three police personnel in April, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force had unearthed the scam of smuggling of arms and ammunition to Maoists.

Over 5,000 live cartridges of pistols, carbine, AK 47, SLR and other weapons were recovered along with around 250 kg of shells and other arms components from their possession.