LUCKNOW, June 28 -- Following a late-night raid in Malihabad area on Thursday, the Lucknow police have busted an illegal arms manufacturing unit and arrested a 68-year-old man with a cache of firearms, ammunition, and the skin of a protected deer, authorities said on Friday. Based on a tip-off, a joint team from Malihabad and Rahimabad police stations raided the house of Salahuddin alias Lala, a resident of Picture Hall Tiraha in Mirzaganj. He was initially found carrying eight live cartridges of 315 bore near the old cinema hall. Speaking on the operation, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), North, Gopal Krishna Choudhary said, "The accused was running an illegal arms manufacturing unit from a residential locality. He was also found in possession of prohibited wildlife material. Investigations are ongoing to identify the buyers and possible links to organised networks." On being questioned, Salahuddin confessed to manufacturing and selling illegal firearms from his home, police said, adding three pistols (.32 bore), one country-made pistol (.315 bore), two country-made pistols (.22 bore), one rifle (.22 bore), and seven airguns were later recovered from his house. The police also recovered 18 live cartridges of .315 bore, 68 of .22 bore, and 30 of 12 bore. Besides, 40 empty cartridges (.22 bore), two live cartridges and one empty cartridge of .32 bore, various tools, saws, knives, semi-manufactured weapons, Rs 2,000 in cash, and the skin of a prohibited deer species were also recovered. "FIRs have been registered in this connection under the Arms Act and the Wildlife Protection Act. The accused was taken into custody at around 1:30am on Friday," the DCP said. He added that police are now expanding the probe to trace the network of arms supply and possible criminal connections across the region. According to police sources, Salahuddin had been supplying illegal weapons throughout the state for a long time. As his house was next to the police station, he evaded suspicion. A neighbour said suspicious-looking people would often visit Salahuddin's house, but nobody had an idea that he was involved in illegal arms trade....