Agartala, October 15, 2026: A late-night search operation at Bhagalpur village in West Tripura led to the arrest of a daily wage labourer and the seizure of a factory-made pistol, 14 rounds of live ammunition and several firearm-related accessories on Wednesday.
The arrested person, identified as Santosh Biswas, was taken into custody following a tip-off about suspected contraband allegedly stored at his residence, said N. Gopal Deb, Officer-in-Charge of Airport Police Station.
According to police, a team reached the house and secured the premises in the presence of witnesses before carrying out a search. Though the suspected contraband items mentioned in the information were not recovered, the search resulted in the discovery of a pistol, 14 live cartridges, a magazine, a pistol pouch and oil used for cleaning firearms, among other articles.
Police seized all the recovered materials and arrested Biswas for allegedly possessing the weapon and ammunition. A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Arms Act.
A forensic team was also called in to examine the seized articles as part of the investigation.
The police officer said no previous criminal record involving Biswas had been registered at Airport Police Station.
The recovery has drawn attention because the house is situated close to the international border, raising questions about the origin and possible movement of the firearm and ammunition in the area.
Police are now investigating how Biswas obtained the weapon and live rounds and whether the seizure has any connection with other unlawful activities. Further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.