Biggest haul of explosives in the State, from Malappuram

Explosives seized in Malappuram

PNS | Malappuram

In perhaps the biggest haul of explosives in the State, the Kerala Police on Wednesday recovered several quintals of explosives materials from a chemical fertilizer depot at Manjeri in the Muslim-majority Malappuram district.

The explosives materials seized from the fertilizer depot owned by Kunhikkoya of Thorrumukku, Melakkam,Manjeri included 2,925 kilos of ammonium nitrate, 195 detonators and 60 metres of fuse. Police officials said it was mysterious that such a huge quantity of explosives was stocked in the fertilizer shop and its warehouse.

The police arrested Abdul Rehman (48), the person in charge of the operations of the depot and brother of owner Kunhiukkoya. Abdul Rehman claimed that they had the required permission to keep the explosives but the police contradicted this. Ammonium nitrate was kept in 50-kilo plastic bags, concealed in the bags of fertilizers.

A special investigation team, headed by K Radhakrishnan, DySP, Narcotics, was constituted to investigate into the matter. The explosives were seized during a riad held as part of the investigations into the seizure of 71 gelatin sticks from Kadalundi in the district on April 4.

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