Pune Police carried out a major operation in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, raiding illegal arms manufacturing units in Umarti village in Barwani district. A senior officer said the action resulted in the detention of 47 individuals and the seizure of weapons and materials used for making firearms.
According to officials, four unauthorised factories operating in the village were demolished during the operation. Police recovered two pistols, five magazines and a significant quantity of raw materials and tools used in the production of illegal arms.
The raid was executed by a specialised 105 member team from Pune, which included personnel from the crime branch along with wireless, drone, surveillance and cyber units. Officers said the coordinated effort was essential due to the scale of the illegal activity and the remote location of the units.
A senior officer said the operation had been planned after intelligence inputs confirmed ongoing arms production in the area. “We found that illegal weapons were being manufactured in multiple locations within the village. The units were demolished and the people involved have been detained,” he said. Police officials noted that Umarti village has been on the radar of law enforcement agencies for its history of illegal arms-related activity. Saturday’s action, they said, was aimed at dismantling the supply network and preventing the distribution of locally made weapons to criminal groups.
Authorities added that the investigation will continue to determine the connections of the detained individuals and whether the arms were intended for sale across state lines. Officers said further questioning is under way and more arrests may follow based on evidence gathered from the demolished units.
The seized weapons and materials will be sent for forensic examination as part of the ongoing inquiry. Police said they are also assessing whether more such units are active in neighbouring areas and have not ruled out additional operations.
