Police in Malda seized four firearms, magazines and ammunition and arrested a person on Thursday.

Pradeep Kumar Yadav, the district police chief, said Ratua police had intercepted Razzak Sheikh aka Tota, 35, in the Nakkatti bridge area in Ratua. He is from Daulatpur near Baisnabnagar.

“As our men searched him, they found four seven mm pistols, four magazines, with one round of live ammunition in each magazine,” said Yadav.

Sheikh was heading towards Malda in a two-wheeler. The police have also seized it.

Police officers suspect that he was supposed to sell the loaded firearms to some person who deals with illegal firearms in the district.

“During preliminary investigation, he has revealed the name of one of his associates. We are in search of the person,” said an officer.

Over the past few weeks, the police in Malda have launched an extensive search operation to stop the smuggling of illegal firearms and ammunition into the district from the neighbouring Bihar and Jharkhand states.

“It has been found that such firearms are being used in different crimes committed in the district. The drive is in progress and seizures are being regularly made,” he said.