Kandhamal: In a major crackdown, the Kandhamal police have busted a country-made gun manufacturing unit in Pangapaju village under Gochhapada police limits and arrested one person in connection with the illegal operation.

Kandhamal SP Harisha B.C. said based on a tip-off, a police team raided the location and unearthed the clandestine unit. The accused, Banchhanidhi Bindhani, was arrested for allegedly running the illegal setup. Police sources said Bindhani had also been arrested earlier in 2016 on similar charges.

During the raid, police seized several items used for manufacturing firearms, including a cutter machine, a wooden frame, and a country-made pistol.

The SP noted Gochhapada, a Maoist-affected region known for widespread cannabis cultivation, is under close scrutiny. Investigators are probing whether the accused was supplying weapons to criminal or extremist groups.

However, preliminary findings suggest Bindhani was primarily manufacturing firearms for poaching wild animals.