NEW DELHI: A Delhi Police team waded through a heavily flooded three-kilometre stretch, with water up to eight feet deep, for nearly two hours to arrest a 60-year-old man accused of running an illegal arms factory on the Yamuna riverbank in Mathura, UP, officials said on Saturday.
On September 1, police busted an illegal arms factory in a field on Jattari Pishawa Road, Aligarh, UP, arresting accused Hanvir and seizing a large cache of weapons and raw materials.
During investigation, Hanvir disclosed the name of his partner, 60-year-old Shiv Charan, who was also running a similar illegal arms manufacturing unit.
After analysis of call details records, locations, and field intelligence, a police team proceeded to Anerda Garhi village in Mathura, UP, where Shiv Charan was apprehended on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Raja Banthia said.
He led the police team to his factory in a village near the Yamuna riverbank, located in a heavily flooded area.
The police team traversed around three kilometers through waterlogged fields and after two hours of struggle, the team reached the location, the DCP said.
Police broke into the premises and found a large stockpile of illegal firearms and raw materials. On the return journey, the accused tried to escape by taking advantage of the waterlogged conditions but was nabbed quickly.
Shiv Charan revealed that the factory was earlier run by Hanvir, with him assisting. After Hanvir set up another factory in Aligarh, Shiv Charan took over and ran this one alone.
All the illegal firearms of the factory were sold through Hanvir. He was having 50 per cent share in the profit and the remaining 50 per cent was kept by Shiv Charan. It was also revealed by the local villagers that Shiv Charan used to keep two dogs in the adjoining field of the factory so that no one could come into the surroundings of the premises.
A total of 14 country-made pistols, one musket gun, raw material for manufacturing more than 350 country-made pistols, 50 barrels, 28 small barrel pipes, wooden handles, etc., machinery and equipment being used for manufacturing illegal firearms were recovered, police added.