The police on the trail of a criminal in Maharashtra were shocked when they found him possessing a country-made 'machine gun' along with other firearms, a senior Thane Police officer said on Wednesday.
Crime branch officials also seized 20 country-made steel pistols, two magazines, and 280 live cartridges from the accused, identified as Surjit Singh alias Maza Avsingh (27), after intercepting him in Palsner town of Dhule district.
He hails from Badwani in Madhya Pradesh.
Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Shivraj Patil told reporters that a case was registered against Singh under Arms Act at Wagle Estate police station in Thane in 2022.
He said the police had earlier arrested three persons and recovered firearms they were planning to use for carrying out an armed dacoity.
"On a tip-off that accused Singh will be visiting Palsner, a team of police officials rushed there and nabbed him. Police seized a country-made 'machine gun', 20 country-made steel pistols, two magazines and 280 live cartridges," the DCP said.
The accused was produced in a local court which remanded him in police custody till July 18. Senior police inspector (crime branch) Vikas Ghodke said the investigation is underway to unearth the network of smuggling of country-made weapons. -- PTI