Illegal arms factory busted in Gujarat; four held

Four people were arrested for allegedly manufacturing firearms illegally at a factory in Gujarat's Rajkot district, a police official said today.

Acting on a tip-off, a Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Rajkot Police raided the factory, located in Kothariya Road area, last night and seized some pistols and raw material used for making the firearms, he said.

The factory owner and three other persons were nabbed following the raid.

"We raided the factory and seized 17 country-made pistols and some raw material which the accused were using to make the weapons," SOG police inspector S N Gadu said.

The factory owner, Hiren Sardhara (32), and his three accomplices - Harshad Hothi (28), Alpesh Vasani (35) and Balu Sisodiya (38) - were arrested, he said.

The police were trying to ascertain where and to whom the accused were selling these weapons, he added.