The man arrested for illegal possession of a cache of arms and ammunition in Khardah is suspected to be in touch with several criminals in Hooghly, South and North 24-Parganas, and police suspect he was supplying arms to criminals in these areas.

Madhusudan Mukherjee, 66, was produced before a court on Tuesday. He has been remanded to police custody.

Officers of the Barrackpore commissionerate said Mukherjee had been claiming that he deals in old coins. “This could be his decoy to hide his arms business,” said an officer.

Mukherjee, who stayed alone in an apartment in a congested residential area in Rahara Market, is said to have told the police that he had been involved with arms dealing for the past four years. The police suspect a far longer stint.

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

Double-barreled guns, 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 in his flat near Rahara market.

According to police records, Mukherjee was arrested once in 2006 in connection with a criminal case registered with Khardah police station.

The police said that several years ago, he was engaged as a contractual driver in the police force, but was removed after his arrest in 2006.

Officers of Barrackpore police said it could not be ruled out that he was supplying arms to criminals in Hooghly, South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas.

“We are probing who had been his clients and where these arms and ammunition were going,” said an officer.