₹6 crore worth of banned firecrackers seized in Ghaziabad raid, 3 held

Police seized 344,000 kg of banned firecrackers in Ghaziabad’s Bhojpur area. Three men, including the owner, were booked under BNSS and the Explosives Act.

A warehouse storing 344,000 kilograms of firecrackers worth ₹6.25 crore was busted by Ghaziabad police on Friday, officers said on Saturday, adding that three people, including the warehouse owner, were arrested for violating the firecracker ban in the National Capital Region (NCR). 

A raid under Section 163 of the BNSS led Ghaziabad police to uncover a massive illegal stock of firecrackers worth ₹6.25 crore. (HT Photo)

Police said the operation was conducted under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibits the selling and storage of firecrackers in the NCR during the enforced period. 

“On Friday, we received a tip-off that firearms were being stored at a warehouse in Khasra numbers 673, 684, and 687 in the Bhojpur area of Ghaziabad,” said Amit Saxena, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Modinagar. “On receiving the information, a team from Bhojpur police, along with district administration officials, raided the warehouse and found 344,000 kilograms of firecrackers. The estimated value of these firecrackers is ₹6.25 crore.” 

The warehouse was sealed, and the entire stock of firecrackers was seized. Police arrested Saurabh Singhal (warehouse owner) and his two workers, Dharmveer Singh, 41, and Amit Kumar, 36, all residents of Hapur. They were booked under Section 9B(1)(B) of the Explosives Act and Section 222 (Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the ACP said. 

Sachin Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Bhojpur police station, said, “Section 163 (Power to issue orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the BNSS was in force in Ghaziabad from August 26 to October 10. All businesses dealing in firecrackers were served notices not to engage in sale or purchase. But since they violated the order, a case under Section 222 of the BNS was also registered. Further investigation is underway.”