Huge cache of illegal firearms recovered from closed gun shop in Purulia ahead of Bengal polls

A large cache of illegal weapons and firearm manufacturing equipment was recovered from a closed gun shop in Purulia town during a raid conducted by the state police’s Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday. The recovery comes at a sensitive time as preparations intensify ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

According to police sources, the STF received confidential information that a long-closed gun shop in the Daser Bandh area was being used to store illegal weapons. Acting on the tip-off, the STF team cordoned off the locality and broke open the lock of the sealed shop before launching a search operation.

During the raid, the team recovered a significant number of manufactured firearms along with tools and materials used for making weapons. Officials, however, have not disclosed the exact number of arms seized due to security concerns.

The same shop had reportedly come under police scrutiny a few months ago when authorities arrested the owner and several others during an earlier raid. After that incident, the administration sealed the shop and ordered it to remain closed. The fresh recovery of weapons from the sealed premises has raised serious questions about how illegal activities continued there.

Police have begun a detailed investigation to determine who was behind the storage of weapons and whether they were intended to create unrest during the election period. Additional security forces have been deployed in the Daser Bandh area as authorities continue their probe and operations against those involved.