Illegal arms factory busted in Bengal, 11 arrested

An illegal arms factory being run in this West Bengal district was busted and a quantity of arms seized while 11 persons from neighbouring Bihar and Jharkhand were arrested from there, police said.

Apart from 22 semi-automatic pistols and ammunition, gun-making machines and fake currency notes were also seized during the raid on the factory being run in a rented house.

"The factory was unearthed at a rented house in Baganpara village in the old Malda police station area on Thursday. 22 finished and unfinished semi automatic pistols, ammunition and gun making equipment like led machines were seized from the house. Fake Indian currency with face value of R. 80,000 was also seized," Malda's Superintendent of Police Arnab Ghosh told IANS.

"We have arrested 11 persons for their alleged involvement in the arms factory. Nine of them are residents of Bihar's Munger while two others are from Jharkhand. We are investigating since when they were running this factory in Bengal," he said.

Police said the landlord and other locals would also be questioned.

"We have produced the accused in the court along with all the evidence," said Ghosh.

--IANS

mgr/vd