Two held, firearms factory unearthed in UP

Two interstate arms smugglers have been arrested and their illegal firearms factory in Uttar Pradesh unearthed, police said on Thursday.

Twenty pistols, including semi-automatics, and 180 cartridges apart from four magazines were seized from Ramgopal, 52, of Etah in Uttar Pradesh, and Naseem, 37, of Munger in Bihar, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

Delhi Police Special Cell men arrested Ramgopal from Daryaganj in central Delhi on Tuesday and seized 10 pistols and 150 cartridges.

His interrogation led to the arrest of Naseem from Agra on Wednesday along with eight pistols and 30 cartridges, police said.

The same day, police raided the firearms factory run from Ramgopal's house in Etah and seized two more pistols and four magazines. Several arms-making tools and machines were also seized.

Police said the factory was in operation for the past five years.

Earlier, Ramgopal procured finished and semi-finished pistols for 10 years from Naseem, a notorious arms manufacturer with several cases against him in Bihar, police said.

Later, Ramgopal started to assemble illegal firearms at his Etah house.

Yadav said several interstate firearm syndicates have been busted and more than 450 semi-automatic weapons seized since January 2016.

--IANS

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