Illegal arms racket busted in Bengal, nine arrested (Lead, Correcting Para 4)

The Special Task Force of the Kolkata Police seized 60 semi-finished improvised firearms, ammunition and arms making equipment and arrested nine persons during two separate raids, an official said on Tuesday.

The raids were conducted in Kolkata and North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, a senior officer said.

While three arms dealers were arrested with semi finished guns and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) from Kolkata's Maidan area during a raid on Monday, another six persons were arrested from an illegal arms factory in North 24 Parganas district's Jagatdal later on that day, police said.

"The anti-FICN team of the Special Task Force arrested three persons named Suku Seikh, Md. Azimuddin and Md. Shamim from near the Kolkata Police Paddock in Maidan area on Monday. Forty semi-finished improvised firearms were seized from them," the officer said.

"Apart from the guns, a bundle of fake Rs 500 notes of the value of Rs 1 lakh was also seized from the three accused," he added.

Acting on a tip-off from one of the arrested accused, the STF team then raided an illegal arms factory at Choto Sreerampur village in Jagatdal area and arrested another six persons working in the factory.

"Twenty pieces of semi finished fire arms, one lathe machine, two drilling machines and several parts of improvised firearms were seized from the factory. Six persons working in the illegal workshop were arrested," the officer said.

According to STF, seven of the nine arrested persons are from Bihar while two others are from Maharashtra and Bengal, respectively.

"All the arrested accused have been prosecuted under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 489B,C (possession of counterfeit currency) and various sections of the arms act. They will be presented in the court today (Tuesday)," the officer added.

--IANS

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