Bhopal, Oct 24 (IANS) The police have claimed to have busted an illegal country-made weapons factory operating in a rented farmhouse in a remote village in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district, an official said on Friday.

After a successful operation, Bhind Superintendent of Police (SP) Asit Yadav, briefing media persons, said that as many as 12 country-made pistols, three live cartridges, and a huge cache of weapon-making materials were seized during the raid.

He said that a local gang was running a full-fledged gun factory by hiring skilled workers from Uttar Pradesh for Rs 50,000 per month. The illegal factory was operating from a farmhouse in Rupawai, where four men were found assembling pistols during the raid.

“The gang had rented a farmhouse for Rs 20,000 a month, while two master gunsmiths from Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district were brought in to craft the weapons. This was not just petty crime, it was an industrial-scale operation,” Yadav said.

He informed that the gang had created a structured business, complete with monthly salaries and production targets.

The operation was carried out after Barohi police station in-charge Atul Bhadoria received a tip-off on October 21 that a man was waiting near Amalhari village crossroads to sell illegal pistols.

Police immediately reached the spot and arrested the suspect, recovering one 32-bore pistol, three 315-bore pistols, and three live cartridges.

According to the police, the accused told investigators about the existence of the secret arms workshop. Acting swiftly, police raided the location and recovered 12 pistols, along with raw materials used in weapon manufacturing.

The accused admitted that the materials for the weapons were sourced from Etawah, Mainpuri, and Etah districts of Uttar Pradesh. They had been operating since September 19 and had already manufactured 22 pistols, selling at least seven in the illegal arms market.

“We have also arrested three buyers of these weapons, while others are being traced. The main gunsmith employed at the farmhouse is a notorious criminal and remains on the run. A Rs 10,000 reward has been announced for his capture,” Yadav added.

–IANS

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