Madhya Pradesh police dismantled an illegal pistol manufacturing unit in Neemuch, uncovering a network suspected of supplying weapons to both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Police exposed an illegal pistol manufacturing unit in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district, bordering Rajasthan, following the arrest of a man with a country-made firearm, an official said.
Police suspect that country-made weapons manufactured at the unit were being supplied in Madhya Pradesh as well as neighbouring Rajasthan.
Acting on a tip-off, Manasa police arrested Durga Shankar Sutar, a resident of Antarimata village, and recovered a country-made pistol and a live cartridge from his possession, Superintendent of Police Rajesh Vyas told reporters here on Thursday.
"During questioning, Sutar told the police that he had purchased the weapon from Nanalal Sikligar, a resident of the same village. Based on his information, police recovered two more country-made pistols," Vyas said.
According to the SP, police later raided Nanalal's house, where an illegal arms manufacturing unit was allegedly being operated. He said Nanalal fled the spot, and efforts were underway to trace him.
Police seized a grinder machine, a lathe machine, a welding machine, pistol barrels, and other tools and components used to make illegal weapons from the premises, the official said.
Preliminary investigation suggested that the illegal weapons were also being supplied to neighbouring Rajasthan, he added.