A cache of arms and ammunition was seized from an apartment in a residential neighbourhood of Khardah in North 24-Parganas on Monday.

A 66-year-old man who stayed alone in the flat, and told neighbours that he was a supplier of army uniforms, accidentally posted a photograph of the arms in a community WhatsApp group a few weeks ago.

Although he deleted the photograph, it was circulated and brought to the notice of Barrackpore police, following which he came under the police scanner.

Madhusudan Mukherjee was arrested for illegal possession of 14 guns and rifles of various types and 905 bullets of different makes.

Double barrel rifles, single barrel rifles, bolt action rifles, 9mm pistols, 7mm pistols, revolvers, single shots, 16 empty magazines of 7mm and 9mm and 905 rounds of ammunition were found from the flat near Rahara Market — a congested neighbourhood — raising many questions in its wake.

The police said ₹1.48 lakh, some gold and silver ornaments and some old coins were also recovered from the flat .

“We have learned that these arms were smuggled from Bihar. How they were brought here will be probed,” said an officer of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.

The police said Mukherjee shifted to this apartment in 2020 and had been keeping to himself.

He has an old case under sections of the Arms Act from 2006 registered in Khardah police station.

A driving licence has been found on him, which is said to mention an address on Umacharan Chatterjee Road in Panihati.

The police found that Mukherjee lived at the Panihati address for several years ago with his wife and children. After his wife passed away, Mukherjee sold the property.

An officer said they had kept him under surveillance after a photograph shared by him in a WhatsApp group caught their attention. The police raided the flat on Monday and recovered the arms.

Several people in the neighbourhood said they felt unsafe to be living in a neighbourhood where a person was found stacking arms and ammunition without any check or surveillance by the local police.

Mukherjee would be produced before a court on Tuesday.