More than 10,500 gelatin sticks and detonators were seized from a truck carrying onions in Chemmad, Kerala on Saturday, February 7, news agency PTI reported, citing police.
According to police, nearly 245 boxes consisting of more than 10,500 gelatin sticks, detonators and wires were recovered from a truck parked near a brick-making unit.
Police have arrested the woman who owns the truck, a police officer told the news outlet.
Officials at the Tirurangadi police station informed that a truck loaded with onions arrived at the brick-making unit late on Friday evening.
After being alerted, the police arrived at the scene and the persons who were unloading the goods from the truck fled.
On Saturday morning, police unloaded the shipment and discovered boxes containing detonators, gelatin sticks and wire hidden among bags of onions.
Police officials said the enumeration process has been completed and a case will be registered soon.
According to them, the woman in custody also runs a quarry and it is believed that the detonators and gelatin sticks were intended for illegal mining. An officer told the news portal that the explosives were purchased outside Kerala and an investigation has been launched to ascertain their origin.
100 boxes of gelatin sticks seized in Palakkad
A similar development was reported from Kerala a few days ago when a van carrying more than 100 boxes of explosives was seized near Palakkad town, PTI reported on February 5, citing police.
An officer from the Palakkad Town South police station said they found over 100 boxes of gelatin sticks and more than 20 boxes of detonators in the vehicle.
He mentioned that the boxes were hidden under a shipment of watermelons and that the seizure took place late Wednesday.
The officer added that the driver of the vehicle was taken into custody. On initial questioning, the driver stated that he had loaded the boxes in Coimbatore and was heading to the quarry in Thrissur.
Police stopped the van while checking the vehicle after receiving information that a large quantity of explosives had been illegally imported into the state, a police officer said.