Thane, Jul 12 (IANS): In a shocking development, a wanted man from Madhya Pradesh has been arrested while smuggling in a large cache of arms and ammunition into Maharashtra through the border district of Dhule, top officials said here on Wednesday.

The police have recovered a country-made machine gun with 2 magazines, 20 locally-made steel pistols and 280 live cartridges, said Thane Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shivraj Patil.

On Monday, the Wagle Estate Police Station Crime Branch Senior Police Inspector Vikas Ghodke, received a confidential tipoff that a person called Maja would be crossing the state-borders from MP to Maharashtra to deliver some arms and ammunition in Dhule.

After verifying the tip-off, Ghodke immediately formed a team of Crime Branch sleuths which rushed to Palasner town in Dhule and lay in wait for the consignment expected there.

Early on Tuesday, the accused arrived with the booty of arms and ammunition and fell into the trap set by the Thane Crime Branch team, said Patil.

The police nabbed the accused, Surjitsingh Aavsingh alias Maja, 27, a resident of Umartigaon in Barwani district of MP.

He was produced before a Thane Magistrate on Tuesday and remanded to police custody till July 18.

Addressing the media on the big catch, Patil, Ghodke and other officials said that further investigations are on to find out the conspiracy for which the arms cache was sneaked into Maharashtra.

"We are also trying to ascertain who it was intended to be delivered here and for what sinister purposes, and to track the other associates of the arrested accused operating in this state,” said an officer.