The Uttar Pradesh STF probing the alleged pilferage of arms and ammunition and their possible supply to anti-national groups including Naxals by police and CRPF personnel has widened its probe to other states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Investigators have recently questioned few senior CRPF officials in connection with the probe and have asked for records of the armoury in states affected by Naxal violence.

Initial findings have lead the sleuths of the Special Task Force (STF) to the pilferage of the ammunition and sophisticated weapons like the AK series to certain middlemen who liaised with the police and CRPF personnel, official sources said.

The UP STF has asked its counterparts in other states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orrisa and top CRPF brass to extend help.

The officials from various states have been asked by the STF to share information and records, the sources said.

A preliminary investigation report will soon be submitted to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters in Delhi and to the Uttar Pradesh police, they said.

The CRPF has already initiated a Court of Inquiry (CoI) against an Assistant Commandant rank official and other personnel of the force while it has suspended three officials.

The UP STF on April 30 had claimed to have busted a major arms racket when it arrested five security personnel and a retired sub-inspector for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to anti-social groups including Naxal groups.

The STF had also detained armourers at Gorakhpur and Faizabad for interrogation a few days ago.

Over 5,000 live cartridges, 16 magazines of INSAS rifles, .25 bore guns, SLR and AK-47s had earleir been recovered besides 245 kg of empty shells following raids at various places by the STF.

A thorough enquiry into the stocks of the Central Weapon Stores (CWS)-- a CRPF stock from where weapons and ammunition are supplied to troops in operations-- is also underway in the states.

The STF has recovered shells from the CRPF camp based in UP's Rampur which included those of Insas rifles, AK 47s and SLRs.