TALCHER: An illegal small arms unit was unearthed here and police seized firearms, including 31 Mauser pistols, 500 live cartridges, gelatin, gun powder, equipment needed for making gun, documents and a list of names and bank accounts. The unit was operating for the last four months.
At least five persons have been arrested in this connection. One of the arrested is a juvenile.
Acting on a tip off, a raid was conducted last night on the unit, operating from a rented house at Champasi here, and arms comprising revolvers and pistols were seized. Police then cracked down on the house of the owner of the illegal unit Tukuna Swain (40) at Paikasahi. Tukuna, however, managed to escape.
Police suspect a well-knit racket behind the mini gun unit where pistols were being supplied within and outside the State.
The gun-making unit was being run clandestinely in the two-storeyed rented house. The neighbours had no inkling of the illegal unit.
SP Narasigh Bhol said, “we have got some documents which indicate involvement of more persons. Some bank account numbers also have been seized. We will not spare anybody involved in the crime.”
The raid was conducted by a team led by Sub-divisional Police Officer Kailash Chandra Parida and Inspector in-charge of Town police station Kailash Acharya.