QUETTA: Police officials involved in selling thousands of bullet rounds and other weapons to smugglers have been arrested in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.

Police officials deployed at Balochistan Constabulary's arsenal depot sold out 750,000 rounds of SMGs and other weapons in Quetta during last few years.

“We have detained six police officials and four smugglers in connection with weapons sale,” Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Quetta, Razzaq Cheema told a press conference on Friday.

He said that the accused set the arsenal depot of police on fire to conceal their robbery. They sold out Rs35's bullet from Rs100 to Rs150 in open market between 2011 and 2014, he added.

Cheema stated that an inquiry was ordered by the commandant Balochistan Constabulary after fire was reported from weapons depot.

Police officials and weapon smugglers earned millions of rupees through the sale of police department's weapons in the open market. Hitherto, low level police officials have been arrested and officers are yet to be arrested, Cheema said.

When asked about sale of weapons to terrorists and criminals, the CCPO said, “Possibility of selling weapons to miscreants cannot be ruled out”.

The CCPO said that a case was also registered against the accused involved in stealing official weapons. “All robbers would be punished as per law,” he assured, saying that security of police arsenals was tightened in the aftermath of the robbery.

Cheema said that 18 mortar shells, rounds of pistols and weapons were destroyed during the fire ignited by the accused to conceal their robbery. The area was cordoned off by police to probe into the incident and nobody was allowed to witness the site.

The Quetta police chief said that no compromise would be made against the elements involved in selling official weapons.