Odisha, Kol cops bust illegal gun-making unit in Cuttack; arrest 4 | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar/Kolkata: A joint team of the special task force (STF) of Odisha and Kolkata police on Thursday busted an illegal gun manufacturing unit operating from a house a few metres away from Bayalish Mauza (Bentkar) police station in Cuttack.
Four interstate gun smugglers — Mohammad Budhu (45) of Howrah, Mohammad Abid Hussein (49) and Mohammad Kallu (46) from Bihar’s Munger along with house owner Sarat Chandra Yadav were arrested.
Police seized 29 semi-finished 7.65mm improvised pistols, along with 80 pistol bodies, 14 sliders, 36 butts, 14 iron bars and 15 barrels during the raid. The raid also yielded sophisticated manufacturing equipment including lathe, milling, drilling and grinding machines, along with numerous hand tools and raw materials.
“Acting on a tip-off, we carried out the raid. We are planning to take the accused on remand for questioning,” DIG (STF) Pinak Mishra said.
The members allegedly concealed their unlawful activities by setting up an artificial cowshed at the entrance of Yadav’s residence, where they kept several cows as a front. Police sources revealed that the gang would sell each pistol for Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000.
The illegal factory was operating from Yadav’s residence for the last one-and-a-half years, STF sources said. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had established a well-organised supply chain, with the finished weapons being distributed across multiple states. The presence of workers from Munger, which has historically been a hub of illegal arms manufacturing, indicates the operation’s professional nature.
The STF is now working to identify potential customers and track down weapons that may have already been sold. Police are on toes about the possible use of these illegal firearms in criminal activities across state borders.
“The gun making unit’s proximity to the local police station highlights the audacious nature of these criminals and their sophisticated concealment methods,” senior lawyer Sidharth Das said.
Four interstate gun smugglers — Mohammad Budhu (45) of Howrah, Mohammad Abid Hussein (49) and Mohammad Kallu (46) from Bihar’s Munger along with house owner Sarat Chandra Yadav were arrested.
Police seized 29 semi-finished 7.65mm improvised pistols, along with 80 pistol bodies, 14 sliders, 36 butts, 14 iron bars and 15 barrels during the raid. The raid also yielded sophisticated manufacturing equipment including lathe, milling, drilling and grinding machines, along with numerous hand tools and raw materials.
“Acting on a tip-off, we carried out the raid. We are planning to take the accused on remand for questioning,” DIG (STF) Pinak Mishra said.
The members allegedly concealed their unlawful activities by setting up an artificial cowshed at the entrance of Yadav’s residence, where they kept several cows as a front. Police sources revealed that the gang would sell each pistol for Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000.
The illegal factory was operating from Yadav’s residence for the last one-and-a-half years, STF sources said. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had established a well-organised supply chain, with the finished weapons being distributed across multiple states. The presence of workers from Munger, which has historically been a hub of illegal arms manufacturing, indicates the operation’s professional nature.
The STF is now working to identify potential customers and track down weapons that may have already been sold. Police are on toes about the possible use of these illegal firearms in criminal activities across state borders.
“The gun making unit’s proximity to the local police station highlights the audacious nature of these criminals and their sophisticated concealment methods,” senior lawyer Sidharth Das said.
