Authorities at Delhi airport on Wednesday seized 45 handguns from a couple who tried to smuggle the weapons into India.
Jagjeet Singh, 41, and Jaswinder Kaur, 31, both Indian, were arrested by customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport after the weapons were found in two trolley bags.
The couple had arrived from Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, along with their infant daughter.
The guns were of assorted brands and valued at 2.25 million rupees ($28,000), Delhi Customs said.
While ballistic reports to ascertain if the guns are real are pending, the elite counter-terrorism unit examined the guns and confirmed the weapons were fully-functional and could be used with .22 calibre bullets, customs officials said.
A preliminary investigation found that the couple were handed the bag by Mr Singh’s brother who had landed from Paris the same day.
The brother had then “slipped out of the airport”, the officials said.
The couple then removed and destroyed the tags of both the bags, the officials said.
During questioning, the couple claimed they were told it was legal to procure handguns from abroad and sell them in India.
They had smuggled 25 guns worth 1.25 million rupees ($15000) in the past, the officials said.
Gold bars seized at Delhi airport - in pictures
