Weaponry recovered from the River Tay is being forensically examined by police, The Courier can reveal.
Members of the public were shocked to watch police lift what looked like a rifle from the river at City Quay in Dundee last month.
It has emerged several gun parts, and not a complete firearm, were fished out after being spotted at low tide by a member of the public on April 21.
Police say inquiries are still ongoing but the gun components have not yet been linked with a crime.
What is understood to be four firearm parts have been sent away for analysis.
A Police Scotland Tayside Division spokesman said: “Police Scotland can confirm that items recovered at Marine Parade Walk, Dundee, on Tuesday April 21 have been sent away for analysis and inquiries are ongoing.”
The recovery was just metres from the Police Scotland forensics lab at West Victoria Dock Road, but the parts are believed to have been sent elsewhere for expert analysis.
Reports from eyewitnesses at the time described the parts recovered from the river as being in a state of disrepair, appearing to have been in the salt water for some time.