West Bengal: NIA arrests key accused in detonator and explosive seizure case; Police recover 60 boxes of gelatin sticks

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 4, arrested one more person in the West Bengal electric detonators and explosives seizures case, taking the total arrests to eight, the agency said on August 6.

The accused have been identifiedd as Islam Chowdhary, a resident of West Bengal’s Birbhum district. He was picked up from his Baralipara house on August 4.

NIA seized Rs 1,50,000 in cash, bank transaction documents, paper slips with mobile numbers, SIM cards, three mobile phones and various incriminating documents from the accused.

NIA’s investigation of two other accused, Merajuddin All Khan alias Meraj Khan alias Meraz Khan and Mir Md. Nuruzzaman alias Romeo alias Mir alias Jamai alias Prince, led to today’s arrest of Islam. Meraj and Prince were arrested by the agency on June 28 2023.

According to NIA, investigations have revealed that Islam was a key conspirator and facilitator in the supply of the explosives in the case (RC-43/2022/NIA/DLI), registered by NIA in September last year after the seizure of a huge cache of electric detonators, Nonels (non-electric detonators) and explosives.

Initially, around 81,000 electric detonators were seized from a vehicle in the Md. Bazar Police Station area in Birbhum by a team of STF, West Bengal. The vehicle’s driver, Ashish Keora, was arrested. Subsequent searches had led to the seizure of another 2,525 electric detonators, 27,000 kg ammonium nitrate, 1,625 kgs of gelatin sticks, one Pistol with magazine and 4 live rounds of ammunition, 16.25 kgs of gelatin sticks (total of 130 in number) and one bag containing 50 kg of ammonium nitrate from illegal godowns.

Additional accused were arrested in the course of these searches. NIA is continuing with its investigations in the case.

Earlier on Augsut 6, Birbhum’s Rampurhat police station recovered about 60 boxes of about 12,000 pieces of gelatin sticks from a deserted house near Radipur village, said the police official.

In April this year, the NIA arrested two suppliers of explosives and Gelatin sticks in the West Bengal detonator seizure case, the agency said. The two accused were identified as Merazuddin Ali Khan of Bokaro and Mir Md. Nuruzzaman of Birbhum. The two were held in the Raniganj and Kolkata regions of West Bengal.

(with inputs from ANI)