Lucknow : In a major breakthrough just a day before Muharram, police in Lucknow uncovered a massive illegal arms manufacturing operation running merely 100 meters from the Malihabad police station. The factory, astonishingly hidden within the home of a 72-year-old local hakeem, Salahuddin alias Lala, yielded a haul of 300 firearms and nearly 50,000 live cartridges during a dramatic late-evening raid on Thursday.
Acting on credible intelligence, a joint police team from Malihabad, Rahimabad, and Mal police stations launched a coordinated raid on Salahuddin’s residence. To their shock, the officers found a large-scale arms manufacturing setup right under their noses. Present at the scene were Salahuddin, his wife, daughter, and a young man named Owais. A search of the premises revealed industrial-grade drill machines, piles of weapons, and 20 gunny bags filled with cartridges. Among the seized items were foreign-made firearms and even the pelt of a barasingha (swamp deer), which is protected under wildlife conservation laws.
Authorities revealed that the illegal factory had likely been operating for years under the guise of Salahuddin’s practice as a traditional healer. Several of the weapons discovered were said to be part of his “private collection,” raising further alarms about the extent of the operation. The area has now been sealed off, and officials from the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have joined the probe to investigate any broader conspiracy—particularly any possible links to planned violence ahead of Muharram.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Jitendra Dubey confirmed that intense interrogation of Salahuddin is underway, and efforts are being made to trace the wider arms supply network. Officials are also examining whether these weapons were intended for use in any larger plots timed around upcoming religious processions.
The discovery has sent shockwaves across the region, highlighting the challenges law enforcement faces in uncovering deeply embedded illegal operations, even when hidden in plain sight.
