Mumbai, Feb 5 (IANS) A member of the Chota Rajan gang and an arms supplier were arrested in two separate cases by the Mumbai Police's Crime Branch and arms recovered from them, police said Friday.

"Zuber Abdul Hamid Jamadar, who was arrested Wednesday is an aide and cousin of slain underworld operative Farid Tanasha," Joint Commissioner of Police Himanshu Roy told reporters.

"Jamadar was booked for rioting and murder in the 1993 riots and had served a prison term during which he came into contact with the Chhota Rajan gang," Roy added.

Jamadar was arrested from Ghatkopar in central Mumbai following a tip off and a Chinese-made 0.38 pistol and 56 cartridges seized from him.

"The cartridges included 50 prohibited bore 9mm weapon bullets generally used by the security agencies or the armed forces. These are restricted for civilian use," Roy said.

In another arrest, a Bihar-based weapon supplier was arrested and 16 home-made pistols seized from him.

Identified as Manohar Gupta, he had planned to auction the arms amongst small time criminals in the city, Roy said.

"There is a new trend now where a weapon supplier comes to the city and sells them to the highest bidder. Gupta did not come here to hand over the weapons to a particular person or a gang, but to meet with local criminals for the purpose," he added.

Arrested from Bhandup in central Mumbai, Gupta is a resident of Chhapra in Bihar.