Cops seize over 1 ton of banned crackers in Gurugram, Faridabad raids; 5 held

Officials said five suspects were arrested in coordinated raids targeting storage units and homes used to hide banned firecrackers.

Police have seized more than a ton of illegal fireworks and arrested five men during multiple raids across Gurugram and Faridabad, officials said on Wednesday. Of the total seizure, about 1,009.7 kg was recovered from Gurugram, while 103 kg was seized in Faridabad.

Crackers were smuggled from Delhi, UP and Rajasthan; police said leftover stock from last year was being resold ahead of Diwali. (HT Photo)

In Gurugram, the biggest haul came from a residential building in Arjun Nagar, Sector 8, where police recovered around 375.8 kg of fireworks on Wednesday evening. New Colony ACP Kuldeep said 22-year-old Tushar, who works at a phone repair shop in Old Gurugram, had stored the consignment inside his house. He was arrested during the raid.

“We are questioning Arora to ascertain how the fireworks were procured,” the officer said, adding that the crackers were being smuggled from Delhi and nearby areas. “Some of the fireworks are leftover stock from last year, which were smuggled from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and other areas.”

In another raid on Tuesday night, City Gurugram police seized about 458 kg of firecrackers stored in the basement of a rented building in Jacobpura, Sector 12. Police arrested a suspect identified as Harsh Arora, 26, who had brought the consignment from Delhi. An FIR has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.

Meanwhile, a team from the chief minister’s Flying Squad seized 175.75 kg of fireworks from a private residence in Bada Bazaar, Badshahpur, on Tuesday night. DSP Abhimanyu Goyat said a suspect named Gagan Raheja, 31, was arrested during the operation. “We are continuously carrying out raids to curb the sale of illegal crackers and track down the suppliers,” Goyat said, adding that the team is also keeping tabs on over 12 licensed warehouses in the city to prevent illegal sales.

In Faridabad, the Crime Branch seized 76.7 kg of fireworks from Ballabhgarh Market on Tuesday night and arrested Praveen Kumar, 44. In another operation, police arrested Rahul Kumar, 22, from Baselwa Colony in Old Faridabad with 26.5 kg of crackers.

Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad Police, said raids were being carried out at multiple locations, especially in border and remote areas, to crack down on the illegal storage, sale, and manufacture of banned fireworks.