Bhanjanagar: Police have busted an illegal country-made gun manufacturing unit in Ganjam district late Friday night and arrested three people, seizing five single-barrel muzzle-loading firearms and a cache of equipment allegedly used to manufacture weapons.
Acting on a tip-off, police teams from Tarasing police station and Galeri police outpost raided a suspected gun-making unit near Gopnagar Square in Badangi area around 2 am, police said.
Three men from Bileishahi village were arrested during the raid.
Five country-made single-barrel muzzle-loading (SBBL) guns were recovered from their possession, police said.
A search of the suspected manufacturing site also led to the seizure of machinery and tools, including one snider, two drilling machines, two blowers, two electric polishing machines, one electric cutter, one trigger mechanism, four hammers, two vice press machines, two hand-polishing machines, three pairs of tongs, two hollow rods, four files, one muzzle barrel, one motor, one saw/cutter and one sharpening stone.
Police said the seizure of the firearms and manufacturing equipment indicated that weapons were being made at the site without authorisation. During questioning, the accused allegedly told investigators that they manufactured the guns and supplied them illegally to customers.
A case, numbered 337/2026 and registered at Tarasing police station under Sections 25(1)(a), 25(1 B)(a) and 25(1-B)(c) of the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway under the supervision of Tarasing police station Inspector-in-Charge Shubhalaxmi Pujari.
Police are examining the alleged network involved in the manufacture, sale and supply of illegal firearms and are also investigating the source of raw materials used to make the weapons.