A “sophisticated” illegal mini-gun factory was busted in a village in Bhagalpur district of Bihar during a joint operation of Kolkata and Bihar police, officials said on Wednesday.

Five persons — four skilled arms workers and the land owner – were arrested, and a cache of arms was recovered during the joint raid of Kolkata Police Special Task Force, Bihar STF, and Amdanda Police Station.

The police seized 15 semi-finished improvised, 7.65 mm pistol body parts, as well as various machinery and tools used in arms production.

Those arrested have been identified as Shivnandan Mondal (35), the landowner; arms maker Anup Kumar Thakur (36), Rajesh Mondal (40), Rajit Kumar Yadav (27), and Sonu Kumar Singh (19). “Acting on a specific intelligence, the joint team conducted the raid. This significant bust shows the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat illegal firearms manufacturing and trafficking in the region,” a senior officer said.

Click here to join The Indian Express on WhatsApp and get latest news and updates