Uttar Pradesh: Illegal arms factory busted in Aligarh, 2 held

AGRA: The Special Task Force (STF), in cooperation with the Aligarh district police unearthed a major illegal arms manufacturing factory in Saraigadhi area on Friday and seized about 36 country-made pistols and revolvers.
Two people, who were operating the factories from a rented accommodation, were arrested.

According to officials, STF personnel raided the premises following a tip off. Mukesh Kumar Sharma from Aligarh and Nem Singh from Moradabad were nabbed from there.

During interrogation, Mukesh revealed that he has been making “tamancha” (country-made pistol) on his own and had been hiring people from Munger district in Bihar for manufacturing pistols. He revealed that he was supplying illegal weapons to criminals in neighbouring districts.

Officials said Mukesh had been booked under Arms Act several times. He also told officials that he had been storing raw material and machines for making illegal weapons under the fake name of a lock manufacturing unit, which is a famous industry in Aligarh.

Talking to TOI, IG STF, Amitabh Yash said that the manufacturing of cost of a country-made pistol was about Rs 300-500 and he was selling it for Rs 1800 to Rs 2000.

The cost of making a pistol was about Rs 10,000 to 12,000 and he was selling it for Rs 20,000 to 25,000. He said, further investigations are on. Both the suspects have been booked under the Arms Act.

“We have recovered 25 country-made pistols of .25 bore and 10 pistols of .315 bore, besides one pistol of .32 bore, seven pieces of semi-finished pistols, 18 semi-finished magazines, 11 semi-finished Katta, one glider polish machine, 1 barrel drilling machine, several files, hammer, caliper, screw gauge, drilling machines, among others,” said IG STF.