Photo : Collected

KHULNA, Dec 13, 2025 (BSS) - Police have uncovered a clandestine arms manufacturing operation in Khulna city, recovering a large cache of weapon parts intended for illegal firearms production, officials said.

The Detective Branch (DB) of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) conducted a raid around 6:30 pm on Saturday at a workshop behind Mitali Enterprise in the Joragate area. The operation lasted about one and a half hours.

During the raid, police recovered firearm components sufficient to manufacture approximately 25-30 weapons. The parts were reportedly being produced at the site using iron moulds and then sent to another lathe workshop in the city for finishing before being supplied to terrorists and emerging local criminals.

Four people were arrested in connection with the operation: Nazrul, owner of the Doha Iron Foundation Workshop, and three artisans-Piklu, Shahidul and Akbar. All were taken to the DB office for interrogation.

Confirming the incident, KMP Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tajul Islam said the seized components could be used to produce at least 30 functional firearms once finishing work was completed.

"The parts were being made here and then transported elsewhere for final processing. A DB team is conducting further raids with the assistance of one of the arrestees. If more suspects are identified, we will be able to determine where these locally made weapons were being supplied," he said.

Describing Joragate as a sensitive area of the city, the deputy commissioner termed the existence of such an arms manufacturing facility there as "embarrassing." He added that similar consignments of weapon parts had been supplied to various locations in the past.

He also noted a recent surge in criminal activity in Khulna. "Once finished, these become fully operational firearms. Robbers and newly emerging local criminals have been sourcing weapons from here," he said.

Officer-in-Charge of the city DB, Taimur Islam, said police had been monitoring the area for several days based on intelligence reports.

"We received information that firearm parts, including pistols and one-shooters, were being manufactured alongside regular lathe work. Acting on that, we conducted the raid. The seized parts are enough to make around 30 firearms," he said.

Asked whether the weapons were intended for use in the upcoming election, he said there was no such information at present. "We are continuing to interrogate the arrestees and hope to share further developments soon," he added.