Delhi Police busts illegal arms factory in Rajasthan; arrests kingpin, aide of weapons network

New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) Delhi Police has busted a full-fledged arms manufacturing unit and recovered a huge cache of illegal weapons buried under the ground in Rajasthan's Bharatpur, with the arrest of the alleged kingpin and supplier of the network, an official said on Saturday.

The operation has led to the recovery of 18 illegal country-made pistols and firearm components, as well as manufacturing tools, which were buried at the facility near a lake at Bhima Pahari area of Dheeg in Bharatpur, he said.

The arrested accused were identified as Bilal (22) and his associate Sahil (25), both residents of Rajasthan.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Harsh Indora said that Bilal, the alleged kingpin of the illegal arms network, had been manufacturing single-shot pistols and supplying them to criminal elements operating in Delhi-NCR for the last two years.

"Bilal, a school dropout, was initiated into arms manufacturing by his uncle in 2017, and took over the operations after his uncle's death in 2018. Over time, he became a key arms supplier in the Mewat-Bharatpur region, eventually expanding to Delhi and NCR," Indora said.

Bilal's elder brother Asgar was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in 2020 for a similar offence, the DCP added.

"In two separate cases, Bilal emerged as prime suspect behind a steady flow of weapons into the city. In one of the cases, he supplied arms to a group of men who threatened truck drivers and extorted money from them," Indora added.

A trap was laid in Dwarka's Bamnoli area on July 27 night, and police apprehended Bilal who was on his way to deliver illegal weapons.

"Eight single-shot pistols were recovered from his possession, along with a stolen scooter. A fresh case was registered under the Arms Act, and Bilal was remanded to four days' police custody," Indora said.

During interrogation, Bilal revealed the location of his arms factory at Bhima Pahari. The officer added that manufacturing work at the factory was stopped at the time as the area was flooded.

A raid was conducted on July 30, leading to the recovery of two more single-shot pistols, one half-made pistol, three rifle parts, and a variety of arms manufacturing tools such as grinders, barrels, hammers and metal plates buried under the ground.

Police described the facility as a fully functional illegal arms workshop capable of producing and assembling firearms at scale.

Bilal's interrogation led to the arrest of his associate Sahil, a resident of Bharatpur. Two pistols were recovered from his possession.

Indora said Sahil allegedly helped find buyers and manage logistics for Bilal's arms distribution network.

The DCP said that Bilal's role in an earlier extortion case was also confirmed during his interrogation. Four people -- Ravinder, Mustaq, Pawan and Rahish -- were arrested in that case and illegal pistols were found in their possession. It was confirmed that these weapons were supplied by Bilal.

Sahil, a Class 12 dropout with a history of substance abuse and prior involvement in a cheating case, partnered with Bilal to expand the illegal trade. His role was to connect with potential arms buyers across the region, the DCP added. PTI SSJ RUK RUK