NEW DELHI: West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force (STF) on Saturday recovered a huge cache of firearms and cartridges allegedly hidden inside a pond belonging to a Trinamool Congress leader in Sandeshkhali of North 24 Parganas district, officials said.Acting on a tip-off, STF personnel conducted raids in Sandeshkhali and adjoining areas on Saturday morning. During the operation, investigators recovered a large quantity of weapons and ammunition from a pond linked to former Trinamool Congress regional president Robin Das. His brother, Gopal Das, is also under scrutiny.According to officials, both Robin Das and Gopal Das fled the area before the raid. Police teams searched their residence and surrounding locations as part of the operation, according to IANS. The STF, accompanied by central forces, also carried out searches in nearby areas. Investigators suspect the weapons were stockpiled to create unrest in the region. The recovery triggered a commotion in the area, with a large number of residents gathering at the spot as news of the operation spread.Officials said extensive search operations are continuing and a manhunt has been launched to trace the two brothers, who have previously faced allegations of intimidation and violence against local residents and political workers.The BJP stepped up its attack on the Trinamool Congress following the recovery. BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh alleged that the weapons could have been used to target ordinary people and opposition workers.Meanwhile, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari praised the police for what he described as a major breakthrough against illegal arms networks in the state.In a post on X, Adhikari said STF personnel had conducted extensive raids across Kumrakhali, Basanti and Sandeshkhali based on specific intelligence inputs and recovered a substantial cache of illegal firearms and ammunition allegedly hidden to disrupt peace.“Kudos to the West Bengal Police for a major breakthrough. On precise intelligence inputs, the Special Task Force conducted extensive raids across multiple locations near Sarberia Bazaar in Kumrakhali, Basanti, and Sandeshkhali areas. Forces have successfully seized a massive cache of illegal firearms and ammunition hidden away to disrupt peace,” he wrote.Adhikari further claimed that illegal weapons had been stockpiled and used to terrorise citizens during the previous administration and asserted that his government would continue efforts to eliminate illegal arms and political violence from the state.“For years under the previous regime, such illegal weapons were stockpiled and used ruthlessly to terrorize common citizens. This culture of violence claimed the precious lives of numerous opposition party workers, particularly dedicated BJP Karyakartas, who stood up against tyranny,” he said.“Those dark days are over. Our Government remains unconditionally committed to restoring Law and Order. We will continue to track down, unearth, and recover every single piece of illegal firearm across the length and breadth of West Bengal. Criminal activities and Political Terrorism will be completely wiped out from our State.Peace, safety and Democracy will prevail,” he added.