By Our Bureau/

Recovery of illegal firearms manufacturing unit, a mini gun factory in Munger pattern, first time in Bhagalpur has put the police on its toes.

Flourishing illegal manufacturing of firearms with Munger brand has created much troubles in neighbouring districts like Bhagalpur where the craft men of this illegal industry have started penetrating after being chased by Munger police. However, the police or the social scientists are busy now for  the analysis of such recent developments but the root cause of such problems generally have some different nomenclature. So without properly knowing the actuality, such problems couldn’t be solved.

Poverty ravaged hinterlands of Munger since long earned notoriety for the mushrooming illegal fire arms and it was stated that illegal manufacturing of fire arms became converted into cottage industry. Beginning of 21 century had given a new twist- influence of Maoists in the rural areas of Munger and its adjourning areas virtually made the illegal manufacturing units as most prosperous business for the rural mass who had no other alternative livelihood sources.

Munger villagers who are also skilled in arms manufacturing.

Interestingly, enough many villages falling under Mufassil PS which are located beside river bank of Ganga became the prime spots for operating such illegal fire arms manufacturing units. “Villagers whose ancestors also adopted such professions, started the ventures. They all are skilled in manufacturing sophisticated fire arms which are also comparatively low rates,” said Md Imtayaz a native of such a village Wardhe at Munger.

Lawyer-turned-social activist, Avdesh Kumar alias Gopal Kumar of Munger however had a different view rather than the socio-economic concept of illegal fire arms units in Munger. “Nawab of Bengal Mirkashim Ali declared Mugner as his capital and shifted completely to Munger. Munger during Mir Qasim a significant role in the conflict with the East Indian Company. He established armory at Munger and  not only engaged such craft men here but settled them all in a place in this town which is known as Topkhana Bazar in the heart of Munger town today,” he pointed out.

“Generation wise such craft men who have the ability to give a sophisticated touch to fire arms, developed the quality with their skills which they have inherited from their ancestors. Munger had the history where blind men were the best craft men in illegal arms manufacturing,” he recalled.

Kumar however said that sometime early in nineties a demand was taking in shape that government should rehabilitate such unorganized  skilled persons and Munger gun factory should be developed. “But the problem is if such persons engaged in a legalized sector, the production of fire arms from the legalize unit will automatically reduce resulting no profit, even will be tough for its survival. And it’s mainly due to the problem of issuing licenses for the arms holders, which is a very tough practice in Bihar,” he pointed out.

Manufacturing tools require for production of arms.

Kumar further added that in present scenario many prefers to use unauthorized fire arms just due to problems in issuing of proper licenses. And when there would no license, automatically people will go for illegal fire arms. And in this scenario illegal fire arms manufacturers will always enjoy such illegal fruits, he said logically.

Bhagalpur police on recently unearthed a well-established mini gun factory in diara land (island of river Ganga) for the first time in Bhagalpur district and managed to arrest 6 persons who are skilled craftsmen of indigenous fire arms manufacturing units. The arrested persons are  hailing from neighbouring Munger district where such illegal activities have established as cottage industry.

Senior superintendent of police, Bhagalpur Manoj Kumar has claimed that there is a spurt of import of unfinished firearms mostly from Bengal areas and craft men from Munger who used to give final touch to the weapons, have migrated places like Bhagalpur to evade Munger police. “After recovering of mini gun factory here, it is now established that the craft men from Munger have started working in remote places in Bhagalpur,” he said. He also claimed that the country made pistols manufactured with Munger brand has wide demands among the criminals and the Maoists who rule the roost in Munger and its adjourning areas.

Remote diara land at Bhagalpur where the mini gun factory was operating.

Rajesh Kumar Singh Prabhakar, deputy superintendent of police (law and order) who conducted the raids said that on the basis of tip off, a police team under his leadership raided Kodara vitta diara areas falling under Akbarnagar PS located across river Ganga, unearthed the mini gun factory. “We were surprised to find how people managed to give a shape of gun factory in the diara region, which is virtually considered as a no man’s land. Inside the trench like structure on the remote diara land, they were busy to give final touch to the unfinished fire arms mostly pistols with traditional tools,” he pointed out.

One country made pistol, cartridges, 46 unfinished country made pistols, 95 unfinished magazines, 47 barrels, 9 sliders, 2 hand operating drill machines, along with huge quantity of tools required in arms manufacturing were recovered from the site. “One person managed to escape while jumping into the river while 6 persons have been arrested from the spot,”Prabhakar said.

Crafts men were nabbed during police raid at Bhagalpur diara.

All the arrested persons identified as Md Soyeb Alam, Md Sarfaraj, Md Aurangzeb, Md Mubarak, Md Soukat and Md Dabo and are the residents of Wardhe village under Muffasil PS in neighbouring Munger district. SSP Kumar said that many among the arrested persons have long association with illegal arm manufacturing and earlier sent to jail also. Village like Wardhe in Munger is famous for manufacturing illegal fire arms since long and the arms manufacturing units converted in cottage industry in such villages, police sources claimed.

“Since the craft men from Munger migrated to Bhagalpur areas and earlier in recent  in many occasions  huge unfinished fire arms nabbed by Bhagalpur government railway police (GRP), we have started searching out if any  such places where such illegal manufacturing units working,” Kumar told.