Patna, May 18 (IANS) In a major crackdown, a mini gun factory allegedly operating secretly for the past two months was busted in Bihar’s Purnea district on Monday.

The illegal unit was unearthed during a joint operation conducted by the Special Task Forces (STF) of Kolkata and Patna.

The raid was carried out in Ward No. 1 of Haripur village under the Dhamdaha police station area following a specific intelligence input.

Investigators said the factory had been set up nearly 20 feet underground and was operating without the knowledge of local residents.

Four persons were arrested from the spot. They were identified as Md Aftab Alam and Md Anwar, both residents of Munger, along with local residents Mitthu Kumar and Gabbar Mandal of Haripur village.

According to officials, Mitthu Kumar had recently returned to the village after working in another state.

Senior officials, including Dhamdaha range Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sandeep Goldy and Station House Officer Ravishankar Kumar, were present during the operation.

During the raid, police recovered 10 semi-finished pistols, 14 iron plates, a lathe machine, a cutter machine and other equipment allegedly used in the illegal manufacturing process.

Investigators said the operation had been planned over the past six months and had remained active for nearly two months.

To avoid suspicion, the illegal unit was allegedly disguised as a workshop manufacturing patris (leaf plates), leading villagers to believe it was a legitimate small-scale business activity.

Police have identified Suraj Kumar, a resident of Munger, as the alleged mastermind behind the racket.

He is suspected to have supervised operations and arranged the supply of illegally manufactured firearms to different districts.

According to officials, Haripur village was being used as an assembly point for pistols, while the network allegedly extended beyond the district.

Police also suspect that the local operations were facilitated by Mitthu Kumar and Gabbar Mandal.

Speaking about the raid, SDPO Sandeep Goldy said the operation was conducted based on specific intelligence inputs.

“All four accused were apprehended from the spot, and a substantial quantity of materials used in firearm manufacturing was seized,” he said.

Police have launched a detailed investigation into the case and are probing the wider network linked to the operation.

Officials said more details were expected to emerge as the investigation progressed.

–IANS

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