Superintendent of Police, rural area Rakesh Pandey said that during routine checking, Masuri police stopped three surreptitiously moving persons at Gang Nahar Bridge.
Upon frisking, police recovered one country made pistol of 315 bore, two live cartridges and a knife from their possession.
The trio have been identified as Shekhar, Brijesh and Mohan, natives of Ghaziabad and Baghpat districts.
During interrogation, they confessed to having lifted the vehicles. The trio used to sell them after scratching and stamping their chassis, engine and officially changed registration numbers from the road transport office.