Police in Nantong, Jiangsu province, seize 167 guns of several types, along with a military mortar shell, during a 15-month crackdown on the illegal manufacture and sales of firearms. (Photo: Chinanews.com)

The police in Nantong, Jiangsu province, seized 167 guns of several types, along with a military mortar shell, during a 15-month crackdown on the illegal manufacture and sales of firearms.

Six small arms factories were destroyed and 173 suspects were detained, the Nantong public security bureau said at a news conference on Tuesday.

More than 10,000 bullets and 4,000 gun accessories were also seized, police said.

In April last year, the Nantong police said that some people had purchased nail guns through illegal channels and then refitted them into more lethal weapons. More than 300 people across the country bought the nail guns before the police stopped the operation.

Most of the items sold in that case have been recovered, and Nantong police officials said they will make every effort to track down the rest to eliminate potential risks.