A huge cache of illegally stored explosives including 196 quintal ammonium nitrate, 3,200 gelatin sticks and 10,406 detonators had been seized from a storehouse at Gopalpur village under the Rambha police station in Ganjamby the Special Task Force (STF).
A person named Saroj Kumar Patnaik, allegedly involved in the illegal storage and marketing of the material, was arrested on Wednesday. According to police sources, he does not have a valid licence to store or market them. A case was registered against him under Sections 4,5 and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, Section 9B of the Explosives Act and Section 120(B) of the IPC.
The accused had been arrested under similar charges in 2016. Initial investigation hinted that he was probably providing explosives to anti-socials for use in illegal mining activity. The seized ammonium nitrate was 99% pure. Investigation is on to find out the source of the material.
