MEERUT, May 24 -- In a major crackdown on illegal arms trade, Moradabad Police on Friday arrested nine individuals accused of manufacturing and distributing country-made firearms.

A significant cache of weapons, ammunition, and tools used to produce arms, including, 5 country-made pistols, 2 partially assembled pistols, 54 live cartridges, 1,200 cartridge primers, 2 kilograms of gunpowder, one live bomb, multiple tools and equipment used for weapon manufacturing were recovered from their possession.

A joint team of local police, surveillance cell and special operation group, had been tracking the gang's activities for some time. Acting on an intelligence, the team raided multiple locations, and arrested the key gang members.

Superinten...