Berhampur, Nov. 7: Berhampur district police unearthed a illegal arms smuggling racket and arrested four persons, including Chandramani Nayak, the kingpin of the racket.

'We have arrested the kingpin Chandramani Nayak and three others who purchased country-made pistols from him,' said Berhampur police chief Sarthak Sarangi.

Police also seized four firearms and 21 rounds of ammunitions, Sarangi said.

Chandramani, who is working in a private security agency, admitted that he had bought the pistols from Bengal for Rs 40,000.

Deputy superintendent of police, crime branch, Rabi Narayan Barik said the criminals were purchasing illegal pistols and revolvers between Rs. 5,000 and Rs 80,000.

'It is mandatory to get to the source from where the goons used to procure the firearms. It is surprising to note that almost all the illegal pistols and revolvers were smuggled from Calcutta and Munger in Bihar. The fire arms were being supplied to the entire state through middlemen at various levels,' Barik said.

According to the police, 40 firearms, including 13 pistols, 23 country-made guns and four revolvers were seized during various raids in 2010. Similarly, 18 and 20 illegal weapons were recovered during the next two years, respectively.

Last year, 25 illegal firearmswere seized.

Lingaraj Jena, a senior criminal lawyer said illegal firearms were being used by the criminals since 2005. He accused the police for the situation.

'Arrest of all the middlemen and proper investigation to nab the main culprits at the source is the only way to get rid of this illicit activity,' Jena said.

A clandestine arms factory was unearthed at Chikiti in Ganjam district a few years ago, said Jena.

Former president of Ganjam Bar Association Maguni Charan Palai said the police were not doing enough against such criminals.

'Firearms are being sold openly and even juvenile criminals are getting armed with illegal pistols and revolvers,' Palai said.

Refuting the allegation about the lack of attention on the part of the police to check illegal smuggling of arms, Sarangi said: 'Raids are being conducted at suspected places. The intelligence gathering has been intensified.'

State police had earlier arrested two persons near Cuttack in October 2013. A 17-year-old boy from Araria in Bihar was among them.