Perhaps, the most interesting weapons discovered on the night of January 25 from the locality were three pen pistols. One such pistol was found in Kashmir some months ago and had triggered a flutter. A few were reportedly seized in Delhi as well. But this is the first time that this weapon found its way into the city.

“Tucked in a shirt pocket, it is a simple metal ball-point pen and can pass security easily, unless someone takes a notice with the help of a high-end metal detector,” said S N Gupta, DIG (CID Operations).

On the top of the pistol is a clip which acts as the safety catch. The holder of the pen acts as a trigger, he added.

According to the DIG, the pen pistol can only be lethal if fired from a distance of six feet or less and is aimed at vital organs.

The weapon can be used for undercover assignations in crowded places. So far, no arms manufacturer in India, authorised or unauthorised, is known to make pen pistols. Two countries which produce this weapon are UK and Belgium, but the seized pistols had no label to indicate where they were made.

“Since they are not available in India, we cannot put a price on them,” he added.

The other baffling discovery is the sophisticated bullet proof jacket.

“The jackets that are used by the Army and the police have a metal plate inside them. But the jacket we have recovered has a fibre plate, making it three times lighter than ordinary bullet-proof jackets,” said Gupta.

This quality gives agility and swiftness to the person using the jacket.

Sources in the CID said that while ordinary bullet-proof jackets are priced at Rs 15,000, these sophisticated ones cost anywhere between Rs 75,000 and Rs 80,000.

Besides these, the police have also recovered .315 bore rifles. These are weapons for shooting from a distance of 300 meters. These are light in weight, air cooled, bolt action and magazine fed.

Easy handling makes the rifles special. A safety lever placed at the end of body ensures safety of the handler.

“These rifles are manufactured in India but are not easily available in market,” said the DIG.