Teams of the Kaliachak and Mothabari police stations in Malda district conducted separate operations, arrested four persons and recovered illegal firearms and ammunition on Monday night.

“The arrests were made in separate raids conducted by Kaliachak and Mothabari police. Eight pipe guns and two rounds of live ammunition have been seized. We have initiated a probe to find out the source of the firearms and details about others involved in the illegal arms trade,” Anupam Singh, the superintendent of police of Malda, said on Tuesday afternoon.

Sources said the first operation was carried out late Monday night at Mominpara in Shahabazpur by the Kaliachak police.

Two persons, Indrajit Mondal and Kartik Mondal, were arrested while they were allegedly transporting seven pipe guns wrapped in plastic on a motorcycle.

In the other raid, officers of the Mothabari police station arrested Nibhu Mondal and Manoj Mondal. The duo were carrying a pipe gun and two rounds of ammunition.

The police suspect they were on their way to sell the illegal firearms.

“We are trying to determine the intended destination of the weapons and whether those were being transported for sale or distribution,” said a police officer.