Explosive haul: Two more arrested from Hyderabad

JEYPORE: Two persons from Hyderabad, Telangana were arrested on Tuesday for transporting explosives illegally to Koraput and Malkangiri districts.

The two Raji Reddy and Maheswar Reddy have been brought to Jeypore by Koraput police.

A team of Town police had detained a truck carrying over 5-tonne explosives from Hyderabad to Motu on March 2.

Earlier, three persons including a crusher owner from Motu were arrested for transporting the explosives without proper documents.

Sources said the truck was going to Motu in Korkunda block to supply it to a crusher unit, which had no permission to procure the explosives. The crusher owner was using the name of another crusher owner-cum-contractor of Korkunda, a valid licence holder.

Police had also lodged an FIR against Raji, owner of a firm called Dewijesh Enterprises of Hyderabad.

During probe, it came to fore that no such firm existed. It was also revealed that Maheswar helped Raji in smuggling the explosives to Odisha.

The accused have supplied around 70 truckloads of explosives to 11 crusher units in Koraput and Malkangiri districts, police sources said.

As per norms, explosives cannot be transported in huge quantities. Licence holders can only take the consignment partially or keep the explosives in small quantities in a godown to use them for blasting stones.