4,800 gelatin sticks, 5,000 detonators seized in Bokaro

BOKARO: A joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Special Action Team (SAT) and Bokaro district police seized a four-wheeler loaded with a huge cache of explosives at Dadu-Pahri area on the Dumri-Phusro road under Nawadih police station here early on Saturday. Police said they have started an investigation to ascertain whether the seized explosives are linked to the Maoists or not.

Acting on a tip-off, the joint security team started frisking vehicles at different points on the road, during which the vehicle coming from Giridih was caught around 3 am.

Police have arrested the driver of the vehicle, Umashanker Prasad (49), and his nephew Abhisheikh Raj (16), who was in the vehicle. Upon noticing the police frisking, the vehicle sped up and tried to flee. However, the alert policemen blocked the road and caught them.

Bokaro SP P Murgum said, “We are interrogating the duo who were natives of Bihar. The vehicle has also a Bihar registration number. We are trying to find out where they came from and to whom they were going to deliver these explosives.”

Murgum added that 4,800 gelatin sticks and 5,000 electronic detonators were found in the seized cache. The vehicle, a white Force One, was also impounded. Police also found a Pan card, an Aadhaar card and seven ATMs of different banks in Prasad’s possession. “A thorough inquiry is being conducted to ascertain the motive of transporting the explosives. Since, elections are round the corner, recovery of such a huge amount of explosives is significant,” Murgum added.