Moradabad (UP), May 23 (PTI) In a major crackdown on illegal arms manufacturing, Moradabad police have arrested nine individuals and recovered a large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and arms-making equipment, officials said Friday.
The arrests were made by a joint team of Galshaheed Police and the Surveillance Cell.
SP (City) Ranvijay Singh said the arrested individuals were part of an organised network that operated across several districts in the division.
"Idrish, Zakir and Rizwan were involved in making pistols at Zakir's house, while Javed manufactured cartridges at his home," said Singh.
"Ankit, Arun, Anshuman, and Tushar handled the sale and distribution of the finished weapons across various regions."
During the raid, police recovered five illegal pistols, two unfinished pistols, 54 live cartridges, 1,200 empty cartridge cases, two kilograms of gunpowder, a live bomb, and various tools used to manufacture arms.
According to the police, the network of the arrested individuals extended to at least seven districts in the region.
The SP added, "Each pistol was sold for around Rs 5,000. The gang was supplying these weapons not only in Moradabad but in neighbouring districts as well. We are now investigating their wider supply chain and looking for other members involved."