Explosives seizure: quarries in Ernakulam under police scanner

September 01, 2015 12:00 am | Updated March 28, 2016 02:45 pm IST - KOCHI:

The Ernakulam Rural police last week seized small quantity of explosives from two different locations in its limits during a surprise inspection.

In the first incident, the sleuths seized 29 detonators from Babu, a native of Muvattupuzha while it was relatively bigger haul in the second case, which comprised 41 electronic detonators and 97 gelatin sticks stocked from the house of one Kunji Muhammad from Perumani near Perumbavur.

Investigations revealed that the explosives were meant for domestic use such as digging up trenches and making crude underwater explosives, “thotta”, for fishing, among others. But the police appear more concerned about the origin of these explosives- from quarries.

“In both the cases, the accused were found to have sourced the explosives from quarries, though we are yet to ascertain how they managed to procure it’’, said a senior police official. He also hinted at the possibility of explosives procured thus being routed for illegal mining.

Probe is now on to identify the quarries that supplied explosives illegally to private individuals and whether more quarries were involved in such activities.

The police have launched a drive to check the diversion of explosive stocks with the licensed quarries to others’’, said Yatish Chandra GH, Superintendent of police, Ernakulam Rural. As part of the drive, random checks will be carried out to see whether quarries are stocking explosives beyond permissible levels and whether they are kept as per licence stipulations etc.

Regarding the operation of illegal quarries, the SP said a couple of such instances have come into the police’s notice. “Most of them operate only for a couple of hours, mostly in the dead of the night. A direction has been given to all police stations to monitor their operations as well’’, the official added.

The explosive licence for quarry and mining units are issued by the Deputy Chief controller of explosives, based on a no objection certificate from the District Administration. As per official estimates, there are about 160 quarries operating in Ernakulam, all of them located in the Rural limits. Commenting on the issue, District Collector MG Rajamanickam said the issue was yet to come to his notice. `` I am awaiting a report from the police in this regard, based on which appropriate action will be taken’’, he said.

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