SHILLONG, May 27 � Customs officials here today seized explosive materials which were possibly meant to be smuggled to Myanmar through Nagaland and Manipur.
The seizure consisted of 374 gelatine sticks, 800 detonators and 50 rolls of fuse wires. The explosives were packed in a case and was about to be boarded onto a Nagaland bound bus.
However, Customs sleuths, based on intelligence inputs, laid seize at the inter-State bus terminal at Polo Grounds here and confiscated the materials. Nobody has been arrested so far.
�Our officials received intelligence inputs that the explosives were being smuggled from Polo area. We confiscated the materials at 1 pm near a Nagaland bound bus slated to depart at 4 pm,� Apalak Das, Deputy Customs Commissioner (Preventive), said.
�Most likely the explosives were meant to be smuggled to Myanmar through Nagaland and Manipur,� Das added.
Gelatine sticks, detonators and fuse wires are easily available in Jaintia Hills where large scale coal and limestone mining takes place.
Most of the explosives are procured by registered licence holders of explosives, but some are illegally sold in the grey market.
The State Government has laid strict guidelines for distribution of such explosives. Every registered licence holders must submit mandatory returns of their stock to the Deputy Commissioner every month. Violation of this guideline can result in cancellation of their licences and also police action.
But over the years the State police have made several seizures of such illegal consignments of explosives. Meanwhile, Das said the explosives were handed over to the police and they would now carry forward the investigation.
