The police made a big haul of explosives materials at Narasingarayanpettai near Ginjee on Friday.
When the police were carrying out a routine vehicle check at Narasingarayanpettai, they found a min-van carrying the explosive substances, including 600 detonators and 165 kg of slurry.
The police seized the material and impounded the vehicle.
The van driver Jayavelu (25) and his companion Delhi Ramu (48), both hailing from Aranipalayam in Arani, were arrested.
Superintendent of Police (Villupuram) S. Manoharan told The Hindu that the explosives were procured from a licensed dealer at Ranipet and were being carried to Kanakkankuppam for digging wells.
Citing violation of rules, he said the consignment was not transported in licensed vehicle and not accompanied by a licensed “shotfirer.”
It was the duty of the shotfirer to study the area where the explosives had to be used, the size of the trench to be dug for placing the substances, the quantity of explosives required for a specific purpose and other related issues.
It was also the duty of the shotfirer to check whether there was any remnant of unexploded substances and if so how to remove them safely.
The Superintendent of Police said all dealers in explosives would have to comply with two important requirements – they should own a licensed vehicle exclusively for transporting explosives and licensed shotfirers at their disposal.
In the present case both the requirements were not fulfilled. Therefore, the materials were sized and legal proceedings initiated, Mr Manoharan said.
