Meerut, May 7 -- In a significant breakthrough, police in Meerut on Wednesday busted a large illegal arms manufacturing racket operating from a forested area in Khardoni village. The joint operation, carried out by Incholi police station and a SWAT team, led to the arrest of four accused, including the alleged mastermind Imran, and the seizure of a concealed country-made pistol (tamanchaa) factory. The other three accused have been identified as 19-year-old BCA student, Umang Thakur, Kuldeep and Narendra. According to police, the illegal unit was being run from a house deep inside the forest, where a secret basement had been constructed beneath an almirah to avoid detection. Officials believe the gang had been active for a long period and was involved in supplying weapons to several states. Police identified Imran as a hardened and experienced offender. Around 25 years ago, in 2000, he had been jailed for operating a similar illegal arms factory. After remaining inactive for years following his release, he allegedly rebuilt his network and resumed the manufacturing of weapons from the hidden forest location. Investigators found that a 19-year-old BCA student, Umang Thakur, was also involved in the racket. A student at a city college, he allegedly handled the supply side of the operation, arranging delivery of illegal firearms based on demand. Police further revealed that some weapons were hidden at his maternal aunt's house. Efforts are ongoing to recover those arms based on inputs provided by the arrested accused. During the raid, police recovered a substantial quantity of illegal weapons and manufacturing tools. The seized items include one semi-finished pistol and two fully assembled country-made pistols. Senior Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey stated that Imran was primarily responsible for manufacturing weapons. Kuldeep, a resident of Daurala, acted as the main supplier, while Narendra worked as an intermediary link in the chain. Police said the gang manufactured each pistol at an estimated cost of Rs.4,000 and sold them for up to Rs.6,000. The illegal firearms were trafficked to states including Punjab and Haryana, along with nearby districts. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Abhijeet Kumar confirmed that all four accused have been produced before a court and sent to jail. He added that efforts are underway to identify other members of the network, and further arrests are expected soon as the investigation progresses....