Arms factory busted in Howrah, 3 held

Kolkata: The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police busted an arms factory in Howrah and arrested three persons in this connection on Thursday. Police seized 48 semi-finished firearms and fake currency notes worth Rs 1 lakh during the search.

According to sources, on Thursday afternoon, police were tip off about a person who worked as a carrier to circulate fake notes.

Working on the information, the police came to know that the suspected person has been seen in Strand Road area.

Around 4:50 pm on Thursday, police officers identified a man near Customs House on Strand Road. The man identified as Md. Chand alias Sonu of Munger in Bihar was immediately intercepted and detained. While checking his bag, officers found 22 semi-finished country-made improvised firearms along with huge amount of fake notes. He was taken to the STF police station in Lalbazar. During interrogation, Chand said that he and two others persons were secretly running an arms factory at Golabari in Howrah. Based on his statement, on Thursday night, officers of Special Task Force assisted by the Golabari police station raided a house at Pilkhana in Howrah, which was locally known as a lathe factory.

During the raid, police officers detained two more persons, identified as Md. Sultan and Md. Shiltu alias Md. Shahensha, of Munger in Bihar. During the search, cops found 26 semi-finished country-made improvised firearms along with one lathe machine, two milling machine, one drilling machine, one polishing-cum-grinding machine, huge amount of raw materials and tools. Both of them were immediately arrested and taken to Lalbazar.

According to sources, accused persons rented the house to run a lathe factory. Coincidentally the house belongs to a person identified as Tarak Nath Shaw, who is the brother of BJP's Howrah Uttar Mondal president Kashi Nath Shaw. Police officers are trying to find out since when the accused persons had been running the factory. It is suspected that the raw materials were being supplied from Munger and the firearms were being manufactured here in the factory. Later, a case was initiated and all three of them were arrested on charges of 489B (using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes), 489C (possession of forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes), 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and 25(1B)(a) (whoever acquires has in his possession or carries any firearm or ammunition) of the Arms Act.