Puri: In a major breakthrough, the Puri police have busted an illegal cracker business operating from a rented house near the Kumbharpada police station in the pilgrim town.
The police seized a large quantity of firecrackers, ammunition, cracker-making materials, and coal worth lakhs of rupees, which were being stored under the guise of selling religious items.
The police arrested Azid Sahi, a cracker trader from Baseli Sahi, and sealed the rented house. According to local residents, the owner of the house, a retired police officer, was unaware of the illegal storage of crackers in his house.
Acting on a tip-off from a reliable sources, a team led by the City DSP spent over two hours at the scene, seizing all the explosives and taking steps to remove the danger by pouring water using fire tenders.
This seizure is a significant success for the police, especially in light of recent cracker explosions in the area, including one in Narendra Pushkarini last year. The City DSP has announced that an investigation will be conducted to determine how the owner of the house remained unaware of the illegal activities.
Local residents have expressed relief and gratitude towards the police for averting a potential disaster. “We had no idea that the house was storing such dangerous materials,” said a resident. “If there had been an explosion, our entire settlement would have been blown away. We’ve been saved from a big danger.”
The police have demanded strict action against the owner of the house and the cracker trader. The investigation is underway.
