A big security scare on New Year's Eve came to light on Wednesday when the District Special Team (DST) of Tonk police arrested two persons and seized 150 kg of explosives from their car, PTI reported.
The arrested accused have been identified as Surendra Patwa and Surendra Mochi, both residents of Rajasthan's Bundi district, officials quoted in the PTI report said.
DSP Mrityunjay Mishra told the news agency that the DST acted on a tip-off to intercept a car in the Baroni police station area and recovered around 150 kg of ammonium nitrate concealed in sacks of urea fertiliser.
The officer said that the accused were allegedly transporting the explosive material from Bundi to Tonk for supply.
The accused were allegedly transporting the whole consignment of explosives and other material, as the police seized 200 cartridges and six bundles of safety fuse wire, measuring approximately 1,100 metres, in addition to ammonium nitrate. The car used for transporting the material was also seized.
The police official quoted in the PTI report said that the operation was carried out promptly after receiving specific intelligence inputs, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the source, intended use and possible links of the seized explosive material.
{{/usCountry}}The police official quoted in the PTI report said that the operation was carried out promptly after receiving specific intelligence inputs, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the source, intended use and possible links of the seized explosive material.
{{/usCountry}}He added that the police are questioning the accused and examining whether the consignment was intended for illegal activities, including mining.
Ammonium nitrate, a white crystalline chemical widely used as a fertiliser, was used along with other high-grade explosives in the blast near Red Fort in Delhi last month, killing at least 12 people and injuring several others. An assessment of the blast site had revealed that the alleged bomber, Umar-un-Nabi, may have assembled the improvised explosive device (IED) improperly, causing the explosion.