Delhi Police seize 2,101 kg of banned firecrackers; three arrested

Police recovered nearly 2,101 kg of banned firecrackers and arrested three persons in connection with their illegal storage and transportation in Outer North district, police said on Saturday. 

Acting on a tip-off, police teams intercepted two Tata Ace vehicles on October 1 on the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) in Bawana while they were allegedly transporting a large consignment of firecrackers from Haryana to Delhi. About 1,350 kg of firecrackers were recovered from the vehicles. 

The drivers, Amit Gupta, 42, and Sunil, 42, both residents of Bindapur in Uttam Nagar, were apprehended. 

During the subsequent investigation to trace the source of the consignment and the storage facility linked to it, police identified a godown in Alipur. A search of the premises led to the recovery of another 751 kg of firecrackers from the possession of Manoj Kumar, 34, a resident of Tilak Nagar. 

Police registered a case against the three on Friday under Sections 223(b) (disobedience of a lawful order) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 9(b) of the Explosives Act. The two vehicles used to transport the firecrackers were also seized. 

Police said the investigation was under way to trace the source and supplier of the firecrackers, verify the ownership and intended destination of the consignment, and ascertain the involvement of others in its procurement, transportation, storage and distribution.