GAUSHALA: After years of the Maoists’ denouncement of the use of weapons, people’s hope of an end to illegal weaponry has been dashed in Mahottari, as armed criminal groups and political outfits continue to use them. Despite the two notifications on handing the weapons to the administration following the commencement of the peace process, nobody has paid heed to returning them. According to the police, they have seized 37 weapons and arrested 59 persons in the three years of the peace process. Of the arrested, 35 are affiliated with various armed groups. Most of the seized weapons are country-made pistols and guns and Chinese pistols. The police said the continued seizure of weapons was a bad indicator of the security situation. The weapons were used even in minor disputes.