Lucknow, Jul 10 (PTI) The Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested nine members of a gang that was allegedly running an illegal arms factory in Mainpuri district.The gang was allegedly involved in inter-state smuggling of illegal arms, the STF said in a statement on Sunday, adding that manufactured and semi-finished arms and equipment were seized from their possession.According to the statement, the STF had recently received information about the gang. The STF of the Bihar Police had also informed it that the illegal arms-manufacturing factory in Mainpuri was being operated by gunsmiths from Munger in Bihar.Acting on this information, a team from the STF"s Gorakhpur unit reached Mainpuri on Saturday night and conducted a raid near the Sirsaganj intersection in the Kotwali Nagar area.The illegal weapons-manufacturing factory was busted during the raid and nine men were arrested.The arrested men are -- Pankaj Kumar of the Bhogaon area of ??Mainpuri, Sonu Kumar Sharma, Madan Kumar Sharma and Mohit Kumar of Munger in Bihar, Mohar Singh of the Aunchha area of ??Mainpuri, Shailendra Singh of the Dannahar area, Lalit Kumar and Shivam Kumar of the Kotwali area and Shanki alias Sumit Kumar of the Ghiror area of ??Mainpuri.The STF team also seized two country-made pistols, two live cartridges, 58 pistol bodies, 26 pistol barrels, 34 pistol butt grips, 75 pistol springs and a large quantity of gun-making equipment.Accused Pankaj Kumar told the STF personnel that he met gunsmiths from Munger when he was lodged in a jail in West Bengal in a case of counterfeit currency.After being released from jail, he hatched a plan, took a house on rent in Mainpuri and became active in this business.Kumar informed that a country-made pistol is sold for about Rs 25,000. An amount of Rs 5,000 was given to Madan Sharma, Sonu Sharma and Mohit Kumar for making a pistol. An amount of Rs 1,000 was given to Shivam Kumar, Shanky and Lalit for selling a pistol.A complaint has been lodged at the Kotwali police station in Mainpuri under the relevant provisions of law. PTI CDN RC