The bomb detection and disposal squad team seized two country made bombs and detained three persons at Valantharavai near here on Thursday.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that it was intended to settle scores between two gangs, which were indulging in illegal acts such as selling ganja and other narcotics.
A senior officer, who was camping at Valantharavai, said that two gangs belonging to Bas alias Baskaran and Dharma alias Dharmaraj were operating in the locality for many years.
Frequently, they indulged in clashes, which sometimes, had snowballed into violence and ended in murders or attempted murders.
In May 2018, two men (Boominathan and Vijay) associated with Bas alias Baskaran gang were murdered by their rivals. In a bid to retaliate, two accomplices of Dharmaraj’s gang were murdered by hurling country bombs on 16, October 2018.
After witnessing four grave crimes within the Kenikarai police station, the police deployed additional forces and pickets in Valantharavai.
Under such circumstances, when the first anniversary was observed by the rivals last year, the police teams seized a country made bomb and weapons from a dilapidated building in the locality. In a similar fashion, the police control room received a call informing it that there were country made bombs in a private farm.
Immediately, a team led by DSP Velladurai and others rushed to the spot and seized two country made bombs from a farm belonging to one Suresh (33).
Along with him, the police arrested Dharmar (35) and Boominathan (42) for interrogation.
Based on their confession, the police said that they had seized the bombs at the right time as the gangs had planned an attack in a day or two.
In view of the death anniversary, additional pickets were deployed at Valantharavai, the officer said.
A senior officer said that they had tightened the ganja sale by intensifying vigil across the district.
All check posts were under surveillance, which had forced the gangs to relocate to other districts.
Praying for a CB-CID probe, Boominathan filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court Bench at Madurai on September 28, he added.
