An English gun dating back more than 50 years was seized from a suspected arms dealer and a buyer arrested by a Bengal special task force team on Friday in East Burdwan’s Manteswar.
The recovery of the single-barrel breach-loading (SBBL) gun has prompted cops to look for the source of such arms that are usually issued with a proper licence.
STF sources said they had earlier recovered a lot of improvised modern arms and explosives during their raids, including SBBL guns, but this one was different as cops suspect that it is at least 50 years old.
“This gun is interesting as it is not an improvised firearm that we usually recover. The weapon is old and made in England. Such guns were once issued with a licence from the government. We have to check whether this gun was stolen from a legal custodian,” said a senior STF official.
The Bengal STF recovered several firearms and explosives during its five raids conducted at various places, including districts like North 24-Parganas, Murshidabad and East Burdwan, in the past month.
STF sources said the arrested duo were identified as Kurban Ali and Rakesh Mollah. Kurban, a resident of Bhandarbati village of East Burdwan’s Manteswar, is the alleged kingpin of an illegal arms business racket, while Rakesh, a resident of Murshidabad’s Domkol, had come to purchase the firearm from him.
The duo were produced before the Kalna sub-divisional court on Saturday and sent to three days’ police custody.
Sources said the STF had been assigned to recover arms and explosives before panchayat polls are held in Bengal next year.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has also asked the police to intensify Naka checking as she suspects that firearms are being brought into the state from neighbouring states like Bihar.
She had alerted DGP Manoj Malaviya about individuals trying to create communal trouble in Bengal.
“Arms from Bihar are reaching the state. Naka checks will have to be intensified. You have to remain alert that arms are not smuggled in VIP cars. Keep a check on the law-and-order situation,” Mamata said at an administrative meeting in Nadia on November 10.
Sources said the state government wanted the STF to seize arms, ammunition and explosives kept in illegal custody of a group of goons before the panchayat polls.
“It is not possible to ensure a free and fair elections till there is a stock of illegal arms and ammunition. We all know that cops can’t seize all illegal arms and explosives but they should try to recover as many arms as possible,” said a source in the state government.
The STF has conducted five raids in the past month and recovered around 20 firearms and over a quintal of explosives from various parts of Bengal.
STF personnel arrested a senior Trinamul leader of North 24-Parganas early on Wednesday for allegedly stockpiling arms, explosives and ammunition at home.
Earlier they had seized around a quintal of explosives from the Basudevpur police station area of North 24-Parganas and recovered several firearms that were to be smuggled to Calcutta from Hooghly’s Dankuni.
