The special task force of police seized a cache of firearms and ammunition in North Dinajpur on Tuesday afternoon.

Sources said the STF conducted the raid along with a team of Panjipara police outpost at Larkhowa village of Goalpokhor.

They searched the house of Mohammad Alam, a villager, and found a number of firearms and live cartridges. Later, Alam was handed over to the police.

“Altogether, five 7mm pistols, three pipeguns, and 180 rounds of bullets were seized during the raid. Investigations have started to find out why he had stored these items at home and from where he procured those. It seems he is associated with an illegal arms-selling racket,” said a police source.

The seizure has made opposition parties react.

“We suspect the firearms and ammunition were stored to perpetrate violence during the panchayat elections,” said Basudeb Sarkar, the district BJP president.

In North Dinajpur, violence had sparked in Chopra block when suspected Trinamul supporters had indiscriminately fired at Congress and Left supporters while they were on their way to the local block office to submit nominations. At least five persons sustained bullet injuries in the attack and one of them later succumbed to his injuries.