Dhanbad, 29 May

In a joint operation, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of West Bengal and Jharkhand Police busted an illegal gun factory in Dhanbad district and arrested five people, a police officer said on Thursday.

The factory, located at Singra Basti within Mahuda police station area, was destroyed around 11.30 pm on Wednesday.

A large number of finished and unfinished country-made pistols, along with a machine used for manufacturing firearms, were seized, he said.

Baghmara sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Purushottam Kumar Singh, who assisted the ATS team, said five people, including the operator, identified as Murshid Ansari, and four mechanics, were arrested.

Ansari’s wife, Heena Parveen, was also detained by the ATS, but was released after interrogation.

"Ansari admitted that he had been running the factory for a long time and supplied weapons to Bengal and other states. Interrogation is still on. More details will be shared later," Singh added.