West Bengal: NIA arrests 7th accused in electric detonators and explosives seizure case

The seventh suspect in the June 2022 West Bengal case involving the discovery of a sizable stash of explosives, Nonels (non-electric detonators), and electric detonators was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday. Six suspects were previously detained for their alleged involvement in the case. Based on information provided by three previously detained suspects, Rintu Sk, Merajuddin Ali Khan alias Meraj Khan alias Meraz Khan, and Mir Md Nuruzzaman alias Romeo alias Mir alias Jamai alias Prince, Manoj Ghosh, a native of the Birbhum district of West Bengal, was apprehended in Bahadurpur. Meraj and Prince were charged in the case by the NIA on June 28 of this year. The NIA reported that Manoj has been identified as one of the illegal miners Rintu SK used to supply with gelatin, detonators, and ammonium nitrate. The anti-terror agency reported that during a raid on Manoj’s illegal Godown on June 28, one pistol, some ammunition, 16.25 kg of gelatin sticks (a total of 130 sticks), and one bag carrying 50 kg of ammonium nitrate were all found. Following the recovery of around 81,000 electric detonators from a truck in the Md Bazar Police Station region of Birbhum by a team from the Special Task Force, West Bengal, the case was filed in September 2022. Ashish Keora, the driver of the car, was also detained, and following searches resulted in the confiscation of 1,625 kg of gelatin sticks, 27,000 kg of ammonium nitrate, and an additional 2,525 electric detonators from an illegal godown. The matter is still under investigation by NIA. (With agency inputs)