Cops bust illegal arms factory in Rajarhat
Kolkata: The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police and Bidhannagar Police have busted an illegal arms factory running at Narayanpur in Rajarhat on Thursday night. Sleuths also seized good amount of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) from the factory.
The STF sleuths came to know that the raw material for manufacturing firearms was supplied from Munger in Bihar.
According to sources, on Thursday afternoon, officers of the Special Task Force arrested four persons in the city and recovered 30 semi-finished improvised 9mm pistols. During interrogation accused persons stated that they procured the firearms from a factory running in Rajarhat.
Immediately, sleuths asked them to show the factory from where they had procured the firearms. The STF got in touch with Bidhannagar Police seeking necessary assistance. In the evening, a joint team of Kolkata Police STF and Narayanpur police station of Bidhannagar Police raided a place at Ganganagar and the house of the factory owners at Choto Gaanti in Narayanpur. Both the places were identified by the accused persons who were arrested on Thursday afternoon.
During the raid, sleuths found 60 more pieces of semi-finished improvised 9mm pistols from the factory. Also several manufacturing apparatus and lathe machines were found. Following the warehouse STF and Bidhannagar Police raided the house of the factory owner Shaikh Ali Hossain alias Munna and found FICN worth Rs 88 thousand from his house in Choto Gaanti. He along with his wife and another associate were immediately arrested. Later, all seven accused persons have been brought to the STF office in Lalbazar.
The raw material for manufacturing firearms was supplied from Munger in Bihar. After obtaining the raw materials the arms dealers used to manufacture a part of the firearms. Following that the semi-finished fire arms used to be delivered to Munger in Bihar for finishing. After completion of manufacturing, the firearms were again delivered in West Bengal for selling them off.
Munna used to be the prime accused here in this case as he used to take orders and deal from the customers. Apart from firearms, sleuths have found four 7 mm bullet from the factory. It is suspected that the bullets were being used to test the firearms.
All seven of them have been booked under IPC Sections 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) along with 25(1)(a) (manufactures, sells, transfers, converts, repairs, tests or proves, or exposes or offers for sale or transfer, or has in his possession for sale of fire arms] and 25(1B)(a) (acquires, has in his possession or carries any firearm or ammunition) of the Arms Act.
