Over 2 tonnes of firecrackers seized in Delhi, 4 held

Police have seized 2,260 kg of firecrackers from two vehicles and apprehended four people for transporting the illegal consignment in Alipur here, officials said on Thursday.

The firecrackers, packed in 87 parcels and boxes, were allegedly procured from Kurali in Punjab for delivery to different recipients in Delhi, police said.

The seizure was made on Tuesday following specific information about the transportation of firecrackers to the national capital ahead of the festive season.

Firecrackers are banned in Delhi.

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During the operation, police intercepted a truck and a pickup vehicle in Alipur. A search led to the recovery of 1,350 kg of firecrackers from the truck and another 910 kg from the pickup vehicle, police said.

They said those apprehended have been identified as truck driver Lovekush (24), his helper Vikas alias B K (18), pickup vehicle driver Chandan Kumar Bhagat (35) and his helper Raja Yadav (19) — all Delhi residents.

Both vehicles and the seized firecrackers were confiscated, and samples were collected for investigation. A case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Explosives Act on Wednesday, they said.

During questioning, the accused allegedly told police that both consignments had been procured from Rakesh Sood & Sons in Kurali for transportation to Delhi.

Lovekush and Vikas told investigators that a man named Sandeep Bansal loaded 48 cartons of firecrackers onto their truck for delivery to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in Delhi. The identity of the intended recipient and Bansal’s role are being verified, police said.

Bhagat told police that 39 cartons had been loaded onto his pickup vehicle by a man named Rahul in Kurali. The consignment was to be delivered to Rahul and some other recipients in Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, they said.