KALPETTA: The Sulthan Bathery police seized a truck (KL 19 D 5452) filled with explosives hidden under onion sacks and took five persons into custody at Thakarappadi near Muthanga on Thursday morning. The truck from Bengaluru, carrying gelatin sticks and potassium nitrate in 200 boxes and 10 boxes filled with wick-coils, was on its way to Manjery in Malappuram district, police said. The seizure was based on a tip-off received by top cops.
Those arrested include the truck driver Sathya-nesan, 59, cleaner Krish-nakumar, 40, both natives of Desam-angalam, Thrissur and two natives of Dharm-apuri, Tamil Nadu Ranganathan, 38 and Surali Krishnan, 36 who were following the truck in a pilot vehicle and Ashraf, a native of Koduvalli. Ashraf was taken into custody on a tip off given by those taken into custody earlier. Ashraf is suspected to be the middleman sourcing the explosives case.
Wayanad SP Rajpal Meena examined the vehicle laden with explosives and interrogated the accused at Sulthan Bathery. SP Rajpal Meena told this newspaper that the police has registered a case and investigation is on regarding the source and destination of the explosives. “We are quizzing many persons in connection with the seizure,” he added. It may be recalled that with the state government recently relaxing restrictions for functioning of quarries close to human habitats, the distance of which was reduced from 100 metres to 50 metres, many quarries have started preparations to resume operations in the state.
