Naini police and SOG team busted an illegal firearm manufacturing unit in Arail area here on Friday and arrested four persons involved in the trade.
The team also seized a large cache of firearms including three semi-automatic pistols along with iron pipes and equipment used in manufacturing firearms. The accused will be taken on police remand and the case will be pursued rigorously for speedy conviction, police officials said.
DCP Yamuna Nagar Abhinav Tyagi said acting on a tip off, the Naini police under SHO Yashpal Singh and the SOG team carried out a raid at a deserted building at Kashiram Awas Yojana in Arail area on Friday.
Four persons who were present on the spot were arrested and were identified as Nagesh Pandey and Naseem Sultan of Ramgarh Deeha village of Karchhana, Jilani Mansuri of Dhabhari Katra village in Ghoorpur and Brahmadeen Vishwakarma of Narayanpur village of Karchhana.
Police recovered three semi-automatic pistols of .32 calibre, 5 countrymade single shot pistols of 315 calibre, 5 single shot pistols of 312 calibre, 5 pipes, iron parts, petromax, other tools and equipment used for making firearms, and also cash ₹12200.
The accused told police that one Nagesh Pandey had come to purchase a pistol from them while three others Brahmadeen Vishwakarma, Jilani Mansuri and Naseem Sultan were engaged in manufacturing illicit firearms. The accused manufactured single shot pistols (katta) and the semi-automatic pistols were smuggled by them from Munger in Bihar and Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh.
{{/usCountry}}The accused told police that one Nagesh Pandey had come to purchase a pistol from them while three others Brahmadeen Vishwakarma, Jilani Mansuri and Naseem Sultan were engaged in manufacturing illicit firearms. The accused manufactured single shot pistols (katta) and the semi-automatic pistols were smuggled by them from Munger in Bihar and Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh.
{{/usCountry}}Police officials said that semi-automatic pistols were purchased for ₹10,000 to 15,000 and sold to customers for ₹30,000 to ₹40,000 as per the quality and need. The locally made pistol or katta is sold for ₹5000 to ₹6000 each. The firearms were supplied to local criminals and youths. The accused will be taken on remand to question them about possibility of other persons involved in the racket and about those to whom they had sold firearms.
PHOTO: The accused in police custody (HT)