Kozhikode: In a major raid, police on June 2 night seized huge cache of arms, including swords and daggers and arrested three persons reportedly engaged in manufacturing and transporting the weapons from Palakkad to different places in Kerala for "committing criminal activities".

"Seventy newly-manufactured swords and 10 daggers were recovered from the jeep that was caught on a tip-off at Eranhipalam near Kozhikode on June 2 night", Assistant Commissioner of Police (South), Aboobacker Chakeri said.

V Mohan Kumar (42), owner and driver of the vehicle, S Basheer (20) and a Kandamuthan (37) all natives of Palakkad, were arrested by a special police team, led by circle inspector C Unnikrishnan, he said.

Police were conducting surprise raids in the district following the May 2 violence at Marad that claimed nine lives, he said, adding last night's raid was also held as part of the search operations.

While Mohan Kumar, a blacksmith by profession, had confessed to manufacturing arms at his house in Palakkad, the other two were working as his helpers in transporting them to some "undisclosed" destinations, Chakeri said.

"Thirty swords were kept hidden in the jeep that was raided at Eranhipalam and the remaining were recovered from a stall put up by Kumar at an exhibition hall in the area where they were kept concealed", he said.

Though the arrested had confessed that the arms were meant for supply, it was yet to be ascertained who had ordered for them, he said.

Kumar had reportedly acquired "sufficient" property in recent times through manufacture and sale of arms, he said.

PTI