As the raids for explosives continue in the district, the police confiscated materials used for manufacturing firecrackers in Anchuthengu and Varkala on Monday.
According to R. Chandrasekharan Pillai, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Attingal, a considerable quantity of explosives, roughly estimated to be around 50 kg, was confiscated from a firecracker manufacturing unit in Anchuthengu.
The confiscation was made during a probe that was centred on Varkala Krishnankutty, a firecracker contractor, who is being linked to the competitive fireworks at the Puttingal Devi Temple in Paravur.
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Anchuthengu Sub-inspector K. Kannan said the manufacturing unit, situated a short distance away from his house, had been licensed in the name of Krishnankutty’s wife Anarkali. The explosives and the firecrackers were found stored inside a godown near the manufacturing unit.
“The licensee was permitted to store only 15 kg of explosive substances for manufacturing firecrackers under the Explosives Substances Act. However, with an excess quantity being discovered, a case has been registered with the relevant provisions of the Act,” he said.
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A sample, which was obtained from the cache and defused, has been sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory for conducting tests.
The police also seized a significant quantity of similar explosives from the residence of Krishnankutty in Vilabhagom by the evening.
The house, which was found to have been deserted since Sunday morning, was opened by a team of police officials and forensic experts.
The police was yet to ascertain the exact quantity of explosives that were seized.
Meanwhile, the explosives, allegedly belonging to fireworks contractor Kazhakuttom Surendran, which were found in a cluster of buildings in Muddakkal, near Attingal, were yet to be defused.
With rough estimates pegging the quantity at over 1,000 kg, the police were awaiting the arrival of explosives experts to defuse the lot.
The buildings have been cordoned off since Sunday with police personnel posted on guard duty.
50 kg seized from a firecracker unit in Anchuthengu
Explosives also seized from the contractor’s residence