Illegal gun factory busted in Odisha’s Gajapati: Two arrested, 12 country-made firearms seized

In a major crackdown on illegal arms manufacturing, Mohana Police in Gajapati district unearthed a country-made gun factory operating deep inside a forest near Galapaju village on Wednesday.

The raid led to the seizure of 12 country-made firearms, several tools and materials used in gun-making, and the arrest of two persons allegedly involved in the racket, informed sources.

Factory Hidden in Forested Hills

Acting on a tip-off, a police team from Mohana police station conducted a raid on a makeshift workshop located on a hill near Galapaju village. The factory was reportedly used to manufacture country-made guns that were being supplied across Gajapati, Ganjam, and Kandhamal districts.

Police seized firearms, barrels, triggers, iron pipes, welding tools, solar lamps, and other gun-making materials from the site. According to police, each firearm was being sold for around Rs 5,000. The weapons were allegedly used for hunting and various illegal activities in forested regions of southern Odisha.

"Police inquired as to how he obtained the guns, during which he (the accused) admitted setting up a workshop on top of a hill close by. A team of police officers, along with witnesses, inspected the place and learnt that he made and sold the guns for Rs 5,000,” SP Jatindra Panda.

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Key Accused Identified and Arrested

The prime accused, identified as Ghanshyam Pradhan of Galapaju village, is said to be the mastermind behind the illegal operation. Police also arrested another individual, Harischandra Mallik from Chihuripadar village, who had allegedly purchased one of the weapons.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the duo had been manufacturing and selling the firearms for several months. The guns were reportedly in high demand among locals engaged in poaching and other unlawful activities in remote hilly areas.