“Op Prahar”: Lucknow police seize tons of illegal crackers ahead of Diwali

On October 10, a team of 70 policemen raided 10 houses in Nagaram, seized 16 quintals of illegal crackers and nabbed three people

Under their ongoing “Operation Prahar” to put an effective check on illegal activities, Lucknow Police have seized tons of illegal firecrackers in the past one week as part of their crackdown on illegal manufacture, storage, and sale of crackers ahead of Diwali.

A police team with seized crackers and accused held during a raid at a house in Nagaram on the outskirts of Lucknow recently (Sourced)

However, entirely curbing the illegal activity is a major challenge as despite multiple raids and large-scale seizures, the illicit trade in raw materials and finished crackers remains rampant, driven by a network that extends beyond the city’s borders. As Diwali nears, officials say while seizures have been significant, completely eliminating the illegal trade before the festival remains a challenge for them.

Over the past few weeks, police teams have seized tons of explosive materials and finished firecrackers from unauthorised units operating on the outskirts of Lucknow. Additional deputy commissioner of police (South) Rallapalli Vasanth Kumar said around 20 quintals of illegal firecrackers were seized from south zones, including outskirts areas of Mohanlalganj.

“On Friday, a team of 70 policemen raided 10 houses in Nagaram and seized 16 quintals of illegal crackers and nabbed three people,” said ACP, Mohanlaganj, Rajneesh Verma. Earlier on Tuesday, a total of 1,392 kg material, including 750 kg of finished and 642 kg of semi-finished firecrackers and manufacturing stock, was seized.

However, officials admit that the real challenge lies in tracing the supply chain of raw materials being secretly brought in from neighbouring districts such as Kanpur, Rae Bareli, and Unnao. Like in the Tuesday seizure, the accused admitted that these consignments were deliberately concealed inside luggage and slipped among goods arriving via DCM consignments from Kanpur and Rae Bareli.

“Once in Lucknow, the material was moved into smaller vehicles and distributed to homes where illegal firecrackers were being manufactured and stored,” the ACP said. Once inside Lucknow, these materials are used in makeshift units set up in residential or semi-urban areas where workers produce firecrackers without proper licences or safety measures.

Police officials said the cross-district nature of the trade is complicating enforcement as most of the manufacturing takes place outside Lucknow’s jurisdiction. “We have intensified surveillance and are coordinating with police of adjoining districts to curb the movement of raw materials,” said a senior police officer.