Anti-tank rifle seized from Russian man's home

Moscow, Aug 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A man has been arrested in northwest Russia for possessing a huge cache of weapons including an anti-tank rifle used during World War II, police said Friday.

Police raided the man's apartment in Gatchina in Leningrad region, and uncovered an arsenal of weapons including the anti-tank rifle, pistols, grenades, mortar, and aircraft machine-guns.

The unemployed 39-year-old man was detained after he tried to sell a TT-30 semi-automatic pistol via the internet.

Five pistols -- Mauser, Browning, Walther, Nagant and an imported revolver, two Ceska zbrojovka submachine guns, an IZH-8165 pump-action shotgun, an IZH-57 hunting rifle, a two-metre-long PTRD-45 anti-tank rifle and an aircraft gun were among the items seized.

Two hundred rounds of ammunition were also found, as well as 17 grenades and five kg of TNT explosive.

The PTRD-45, used during World War II, has an effective range of 800 metres against armoured vehicles and 1,500 metres against soft targets.

The man faces three years in prison for illegal possession, manufacturing, and sale of firearms and ammunition.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

pm/dg