Rented Farmhouse, Skilled Workers: Madhya Pradesh Cops Raid Illegal Arms Factory

Police busted an illegal country-made weapons factory in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district that was operating out of a rented farmhouse.

Police seized 12 country-made pistols, three live cartridges, and a huge cache of weapon-making materials, exposing how a local gang was running a full-fledged gun factory by hiring skilled workers from Uttar Pradesh for Rs 50,000 per month.

According to Bhind Superintendent of Police Dr Asit Yadav, the racket was being operated from a farmhouse in Rupawai, where four men were assembling pistols. The gang had rented the farmhouse for Rs 20,000 a month, while two master gunsmiths from Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district were brought in to craft the weapons. "This was not just petty crime, it was an industrial-scale operation," said Yadav. "The gang had created a structured business, complete with monthly salaries and production targets."

The operation came to light when Barohi police station in-charge Atul Bhadoria received a tip-off on October 21 that a man was waiting near Amalhari village crossroads to sell illegal pistols. Police immediately reached the spot and arrested the suspect, recovering one 32-bore pistol, three 315-bore pistols, and three live cartridges.

During interrogation, the accused told the police about the existence of the secret arms workshop. Acting swiftly, police raided the location and recovered 12 pistols, along with raw materials used in weapon manufacturing.

The accused admitted that the materials for the weapons were sourced from Etawah, Mainpuri and Etah districts of Uttar Pradesh. They had been operating since September 19 had already manufactured 22 pistols, selling at least seven in the illegal arms market.

Police have also arrested three buyers of these weapons, while others are being traced. The main gunsmith employed at the farmhouse is a notorious criminal, remains on the run. A Rs 10,000 reward has been announced for his capture.