BARIPADA: The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata police on Saturday seized around 1,000 kg of explosive material from a truck in Chitpur area of the West Bengal capital and arrested two persons.
Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted the truck coming from Odisha near Tala bridge on the BT Road early on Saturday and seized 27 gunny bags containing about one tonne of potassium nitrate.

The vehicle was heading towards North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. Commonly used as an ingredient for fertiliser for high-value crops, potassium nitrate, a strong oxidiser is also used in making explosives.The arrested duo, the driver and helper of the truck, belong to Balasore district.They are Indrajit Bhui (25) of Melak village and Padmalochan Dey (31) of Mathani village under Basta police limits. They were produced in Bankshall court.

Sources said the vehicle reached West Bengal despite two police stations located near Basta and Jaleswar along the National Highway 60 and a check post on Odisha-West Bengal border at Lakshmannath.The incident took a new turn after owner of the vehicle, Tapan Kumar Mohapatra of Rupsa in Balasore district, filed a complaint at the local police station later on the day stating that his truck was missing.

Meanwhile, DGP  Dr RP Sharma said the Odisha STF is in touch with the Kolkata STF after the truck was intercepted. The local police has been asked to inquire the whereabouts of the two persons arrested in this connection, he said.

Since potassium nitrate is used in fertiliser and in making gunpowder, Dr Sharma said, its trade is regulated. Balasore police has been directed to find out the source of purchase of the material, he added.