Kolkata: Explosive whiff in 1,000kg chemical haul

KOLKATA/ BHUBANESWAR: The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police on Saturday claimed to have confiscated about 1,000kg of explosive substance while it was being smuggled out from mines in Balasore, Odisha, to North 24 Parganas. Police suspect the contraband (potassium nitrate) in gunny bags would have been used to manufacture country bombs for use during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

A source in STF said a light commercial vehicle was intercepted on Tallah bridge, around 1km from Shyambazar five-point crossing. "Acting on a tip-off, we set up check points at night at various places in north Kolkata. Around 12.20am, a truck was intercepted on the northern slope of Tallah bridge on BT Road under Chitpur police station. About 1,000kg of explosive substances (potassium nitrate) packed in 27 gunny bags were seized. The driver and helper of the vehicle were arrested," he said.

The helper, Indrajit Bhui (25), and the driver of the vehicle, Padmolochon Dey (31) - both residents of Balasore - were charged under sections 4 and 5 of the Explosives Act. The duo has named several people from the industrial belt of North 24 Parganas. "Raids are on across Bhatpara and Barrackpore to nab those who were slated to receive the consignments," an officer said.

The STF and the NIA - which had earlier probed a bomb blast on a local train - found various areas surrounding Kolkata teeming with small bomb-making units. However, no terror angle has been attributed to this case at present.

The police said that all units had been instructed to ensure that there is no trouble during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "We are trying to find out how many such shipments have been sent so far. It seems this had been going on for some time," an investigator said.

Odisha STF is in touch with their Bengal counterparts and may even take the two persons on transit remand. "Potassium nitrate is also used as manure. Explosives can also be made using the chemical. But, we are yet to know the purpose behind transporting such huge quantity of explosives," said director general of police Rajendra Prasad Sharma.

In 2015, the CID had recovered 600kg of the far more lethal ammonium nitrate from a godown on Strand Road. In that case too, the explosives had come from Odisha and Bihar. They were to be used for manufacturing country bombs in North 24 Parganas and Murshidabad that would have been then sent to various places in Kolkata and even to Bangladesh.