- Kerala Police seized explosives hidden in a lorry carrying watermelons on NH near Palakkad
- Driver Senthil Kumar from Tamil Nadu was taken into custody during the operation on Tuesday night
- Nearly 4,000 gelatin sticks and 17 detonators were found packed in over 100 boxes under watermelons
Kerala Police seized a large cache of explosive materials that were allegedly being smuggled into Kerala concealed inside a mini-lorry carrying watermelons on the Walayar-Vadakkenchery National Highway. Police took the lorry driver, identified as Senthil Kumar, a native of Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district, into custody.
Officials recovered nearly 4,000 gelatin sticks and 17 detonators packed inside more than 100 boxes. The explosives are estimated to be worth lakhs of rupees, were allegedly hidden beneath a load of watermelons to avoid detection during transit.
The seizure took place around 9 pm on Tuesday on a service road near the Palakkad Government Medical College. Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by South Inspector Vipin Kumar intercepted the vehicle and conducted a detailed inspection. During the search, officers removed the watermelon load stacked on top and discovered the concealed boxes containing explosive materials.
According to preliminary interrogation, the driver told police that the explosives were transported from Salem in Tamil Nadu and were being taken to Thrissur. Investigators said further questioning is required to determine the intended recipients and whether the consignment had proper authorisation.
A bomb squad was also deployed at the site to examine and safely secure the explosives.
Officials noted that interstate smuggling of explosives remains a serious concern along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Last year alone, Palakkad and Coimbatore police seized more than 40,000 gelatin sticks and over 5,000 detonators that were allegedly being transported illegally into Kerala.
