Delhi Police Bust Illegal Gun Factory In Rajasthan, Recover 18 Pistols

The Delhi Police have dismantled an illegal arms manufacturing unit operating out of Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, recovering a cache of country-made weapons and firearm components buried underground, and arresting two men allegedly behind the network.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Harsh Indora, the unit was being run from Bhima Pahari area of Dheeg in Bharatpur, near a lake, where arms manufacturing tools and finished pistols were hidden beneath the surface. The operation resulted in the recovery of 18 single-shot pistols, several incomplete firearms, and a variety of fabrication equipment.

The two arrested individuals have been identified as Bilal (22) and Sahil (25), both residents of Rajasthan. Bilal is alleged to be the primary manufacturer and supplier in the operation, while Sahil is believed to have assisted in logistics and arms sales.

Arrest in Delhi and Factory Raid in Bharatpur

According to PTI, police had been tracking Bilal’s movements for some time in connection with multiple illegal arms cases in the National Capital Region. On the night of 27 July, a team from the Crime Branch laid a trap in Dwarka’s Bamnoli area. Bilal was apprehended while allegedly attempting to deliver illegal firearms. Officers recovered eight single-shot pistols and a stolen scooter from his possession. A fresh case under the Arms Act was registered, and Bilal was placed in four days’ police custody.

During interrogation, Bilal disclosed the location of the manufacturing site in Bharatpur. A police team subsequently raided the location on 30 July. Although arms production had been temporarily halted due to flooding in the area, officers recovered two pistols, one unfinished weapon, three rifle components, and multiple tools used in fabrication, including grinders, barrels, hammers, and metal plates. The setup was described by police as a fully operational workshop capable of producing firearms on a regular basis.

Background and Criminal Links

PTI reported, how Bilal, a school dropout, was introduced to arms manufacturing by his uncle in 2017, and took over the operation following his uncle’s death in 2018. Over the years, he became an established figure in the illicit arms trade across Mewat and Bharatpur, eventually extending his supply chain to Delhi and its surrounding areas.

Police noted that Bilal’s elder brother, Asgar, had also been arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in 2020 for a similar offence. In two recent cases investigated by the Crime Branch, Bilal emerged as the prime suspect for supplying arms to criminal groups operating in Delhi. In one case, the weapons were allegedly used by men extorting money from truck drivers by issuing threats at gunpoint.

The DCP added that Bilal’s interrogation also led to the arrest of Sahil, a resident of Bharatpur. Sahil was taken into custody shortly after the Bharatpur raid, and two pistols were recovered from him. Sahil is accused of managing logistics and helping locate buyers for the arms. He is a Class 12 dropout, reportedly with a background of substance abuse and a previous cheating case.

According to PTI, both accused men remain in custody while investigations continue into the scale of the network and its wider connections across northern India.

(With inputs from PTI)