New Delhi: Delhi Police’s special cell has busted an illegal cartridge manufacturing factory in Moradabad allegedly supplying bullets to criminals of Delhi, UP and Haryana. Three suspected suppliers have been arrested while the hunt is on for others.Additional commissioner Pramod Kushwaha said the factory only prepared ammunition and was discovered near the residence of one of the accused, Iliyas (65), the alleged mastermind.According to police, the operation is significant as bullets can’t be manufactured easily and need a higher level of expertise compared to weapon manufacturers, which are commonly found and busted. Most of the bullets used by criminals are smuggled from abroad or ordnance factories, or pilfered from gun-houses. Each bullet on the street costs between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500, depending upon the bore and quality.Police on Sept 22 received information that a suspected illicit arms supplier, Fazil (50), was scheduled to deliver arms and ammunition near Ghazipur flyover in east Delhi. Acting on the tipoff, the team laid a trap and arrested Fazil, seizing four single-shot pistols and 166 live cartridges of .315 bore from him.Fazil’s interrogation led to the arrest of Jameer (57) in Rampur, from whom 20 live cartridges were seized. During questioning, Jameer told police he had procured the cartridges from Iliyas, and also led cops to his hideout in Moradabad. During the raid on Illiyas’s residence, two semi-automatic pistols and one single-shot pistol were recovered. Iliyas then disclosed the existence of the illegal ammunition manufacturing factory, which was subsequently busted by police with the help of local authorities.The raid led to the recovery of a lathe machine, grinding machine, cartridge-making equipment, 257 empty cartridges, 354 bullet leads, 350 empty bullet shells and gunpowder. According to estimates, more than 1,000 cartridges can be manufactured from the recovered raw material. In all, police seized two semi-automatic pistols, five single-shot pistols and 210 live cartridges from the accused.Police said Iliyas allegedly learnt ammunition production techniques from local craftsmen, entered the illegal trade 20 years ago and has a history of involvement in similar cases, including a previous arrest in 2022 under the Arms Act. Cops are now working to identify other associates and dismantle the larger network involved in the trafficking of illicit arms and ammunition.
