Dhanbad: In a major crackdown on illegal arms manufacturing, a joint operation by Jharkhand ATS and West Bengal STF led to the busting of a secret gun factory in Singhada village, under Mahuda police station in Dhanbad’s Baghmara subdivision. Five individuals, including the alleged mastermind, have been arrested, and a large cache of firearms and weapon-making tools seized.
Baghmara SDPO Purushottam Kumar Singh informed that the illegal unit had been operating out of the home of Murshid Ansari, who allegedly employed skilled laborers from Munger, Bihar, to produce pistols. The arrested include Mohammad Shabbir Ansari, Mohammad Mustafa, Mohammad Parvez, and Mohammad Mister, all residents of Munger.
The raid, which involved personnel from multiple police stations, yielded 70–80 fully and semi-assembled pistols, alongside raw materials such as iron, copper, brass, and machinery like lathe and drill machines. Tools including group cutters, gauges, and blades were also recovered.
Initial investigations suggest links between the Dhanbad unit and criminal networks in Bihar and West Bengal, with some of the firearms possibly used in crimes across state lines. The breakthrough came after a criminal in Bengal revealed the factory’s location during interrogation, prompting the coordinated raid.
Police sources also revealed that Arsh Mohammad of Kulti had been supplying raw materials to the factory. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities probing wider networks and possible connections to organized crime or terror activity. More arrests are expected soon, police said.
