KATHMANDU: Police have arrested a man allegedly involved in the theft of modern firearms during the second day of Nepal’s escalating “Gen Z” movement.

According to the Valley Crime Investigation Office, Shivraj Dhamala, a resident of Tikapur-1, Kailali, was apprehended on Wednesday from Tarkeshwar Municipality–11 in Kathmandu. Police recovered a fully automatic INSAS rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol believed to have been looted from law enforcement during the unrest.

Security reports suggest that on the first day of the Gen Z demonstrations, members of the controversial Durga Prasai faction allegedly hired ride-sharing workers to mobilize crowds and intensify clashes.

Investigators subsequently began probing individuals connected to ride-sharing services for possible involvement in violence and arson that marked the second day of the protests.

Police said a special investigation team, assigned to trace the missing weapons, approached Dhamala posing as potential buyers. When Dhamala offered to sell a pistol, officers moved in and arrested him.

A raid on his rented room led to the recovery of the INSAS rifle, shotgun, and pistol—all confirmed to have been stolen on September 9, though the exact site of the theft remains unclear.

Authorities said a detailed investigation is underway to determine the origin of the weapons and the broader network behind the incident.