Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Oct 14: The Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police has busted an illegal arms manufacturing unit on the southern outskirts of Kolkata following a tip-off, recovering firearms, cartridges and equipment used for manufacturing weapons, police said on Wednesday.
The operation was carried out late on Tuesday night after STF personnel raided a house in Ayubnagar under Nadial police station limits in south Kolkata.
According to a state police official, the owner of the house allegedly fled before the raid. He is suspected of having set up an illegal arms manufacturing unit inside the premises.
During the raid, the STF recovered two 7 mm guns, two country-made pistols, several cartridges and equipment used for manufacturing firearms. Single-shot guns and other firearm-related materials were also recovered during the operation.
The STF has registered a case under the Arms Act at Nadial police station. Police officials said the accused has been identified and search operations have been launched at various locations to trace and arrest him.
Investigators are trying to establish how long the accused had been manufacturing weapons in the house, who had placed orders for the firearms and where he had procured the equipment required for their manufacture.
Police sources said the interrogation of the accused, once arrested, is expected to provide crucial information about the operation and help determine whether other people were involved in the alleged network.
The raid comes amid a series of firearm recoveries from different areas in and around Kolkata over the past few days. The police have launched an investigation to establish the links between these incidents and identify the main source of arms smuggling.
During the course of gathering intelligence, STF personnel reportedly learnt that firearms recovered from different parts of the city could have been manufactured secretly at an undisclosed location. Acting on this information, the team conducted the raid and uncovered the illegal arms manufacturing unit.