Kolkata: Two arms dealers were arrested by South 24-Parganas police and as many as 13 firearms seized from their possession.
The incident took place near Kamal Gazi Bypass in South 24Parganas district on late Sunday night.
The accused have been identified as Rajesh Sharma and Mostaq Alam. The district police had specific information about an attempt of smuggling firearms.
Police were in search of the gang for quite sometime and had been conducting raids at different places in the district to nab them.
A team of senior police officers in plain clothes visited the adjoining areas on late Sunday night. The duo was passing through the area on two motorcycles when they were intercepted by the police at Sonarpur.
Police recovered 10 one shutter pipe guns, 3 pistols and six magazines from their possession. Police have seized the motor cycles and three mobile phones. Rs 38,500 have been recovered.
According to the preliminary investigation, police suspect that the duo might be a part of an interstate arms smuggling racket operating from the
state itself.
They were going to sell the arms, police suspect. During police interrogation, the accused confessed their involvement in the smuggling of firearms.
Police are yet to ascertain the entire modus operandi of the crime.
The investigators suspect that the duo used to sell arms mainly in two districts.
Police gathered information, suggesting they frequently visited the places like Haroa in North 24-Parganas and Kashipur, Bhangar and Canning in the South 24-Parganas.
Police are trying to know from where they had collected these arms.
They have been remanded to police custody after being produced before a district court on Monday.