The Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata police arrested four persons on Tuesday in connection with the seizure of 5000 rounds of ammunition from a vehicle on Monday.
Police sources suspect that the cartridges, manufactured at the Indian Ordnance Factory at Khirka in Pune in March 2010, was meant for the Maoists.
A traffic sergeant had intercepted a car on one of the busiest streets in the city when it jumped the signal.
The driver and the two passengers fled when asked to furnish documents for the car.
The police recovered 5000 rounds of live .315 mm bore cartridges from three gunny sacks stashed below the seat of the vehicle.
“The STF has arrested Mukesh Singh, Rajesh Kumar Sharma, Ram Pravesh Prasad and Dilip Mishra in connection with the incident,” STF chief Rajiv Kumar told journalists. The consignment was to be delivered to Mishra by the other three.
Mukesh Singh told the STF that he owned a licensed firearms shop near Patna railway station and rans a printing press.
The car is registered at Patna in the name of Singh's wife. Cash worth Rs. 2.36 lakh was also found on his person.
Mr. Kumar did not rule out the possibility of the consignment being meant for left-wing extremists.
The incident comes two days after a police constable of Howrah Police Lines was detained for questioning at Burdwan town for allegedly having links with Maoists.