Over 200 country bombs seized from fishermen hamlet

Tirunelveli: The police along with the bomb squad unearthed more than 200 country-made bombs from the coastal hamlet of Koothanguli near Koodankulam in Tirunelveli district on Saturday.

Following repeated incidents of country bombs being casually used by fishermen of Koothankuli village near Koodankulam, the Tirunelveli district police along with the bomb squad under the leadership of the Valliyoor DSP, Balaji carried out a massive search operation in the coastal areas of

Koothankuli and Idinthakarai close to the Koodankulam nuclear power project. During this search operation, the police have unearthed more than 200 country bombs buried in the shore areas. Police said fishermen themselves make these crude bombs.

“Koothankuli village has several experts to make the crude bombs,” said a police official. Making such bombs were once a lucrative business for fishermen groups in Koothakuli as the village was one of its prime suppliers for destructive fishing method in the region some three decades ago, before fishing using bombs was strictly banned, he said.

Still crude bombs made in Koothankuli village are being supplied for illegal fishing in some parts of the state and even outside Tamil Nadu in parts of Kerala, say local villagers.

They complain that fishermen split into two groups in the area often use the bombs made by them during clashes among themselves.

It may be recalled that six persons including children and women were killed two years ago at the Tsunami colony at Idinthakarai, in an explosion that occurred in the process of making bombs.

The police carried out the search for bombs at Koothankuli on Saturday, following the recent clash between the villagers last week on June 9, when around 60 country bombs were reported to have been used injuring four men and damaging a few houses and a police jeep. The Koodankulam police have arrested 21 fishermen in connection with the June 9 clash.