Licensed supplier arrested for smuggling explosives

Jaipur: The special operations group (SOG) has arrested a licensed explosive supplier from Kota, two days after a huge cache of explosives were recovered from Galta Gate in Jaipur’s Walled City area.

The man, identified as Ajay Shah, is the owner of AK traders. Shah, a licensed explosive supplier, allegedly sold explosives including ammonium nitrate to illegal miners at a higher price. SOG has seized records from Shah’s office and house in Kota. It has been found during preliminary investigation that Shah tampered with records of explosive distribution to sell ammonium nitrate, gelatin rods and fuse wires illegally to miners.

IG, SOG Dinesh MN said that ammonium nitrate stored in 225 sacks, 2600 detonators, 204 gelatin rods and 1800 meter fuse wires were found hidden in a truck parked in a godown in Galata Gate area on Friday. The godown owner Girraj Sharma, a resident of Jagatpura’s Sarsawati Nagar and truck driver Hansraj Meena were arrested after the seizure. Both were produced in a court that sent them to police remand till March 30.

Sharma allegedly bought explosives from Shah and was to deliver them to illegal miners.

“Explosives were in such a huge quantity that they could have blown up several colonies in the locality,” said the officer. The involvement of an interstate gang in the smuggling of explosives has not been ruled out.

The fact that the two men had been smuggling explosives for the past four years without being detected alarmed the state police’s intelligence wing.

Explosives used in illegal mines in the state have been the source for terror attacks in several parts of the country in recent years.