NIA arrests key conspirator in West Bengal detonators, explosive seizure case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested an alleged key conspirator in the West Bengal electric detonators and explosives seizures case, an official said. With this, the number of people arrested has gone up to eight in the case registered in June last year. Islam Chowdhary, a resident of West Bengal’s Birbhum district, was picked up from his house, where the NIA also seized Rs 1.50 lakh, bank transaction documents, paper slips with mobile numbers, SIM cards, three mobile phones and incriminating documents, a spokesperson of the federal anti-terror agency said.

The official said the NIA’s investigation of two other accused in the case — Merajuddin Ali Khan and Mir Mohd Nuruzzaman — led to Chowdhary’s arrest. Khan and Nuruzzaman were arrested by the NIA on June 28.

”Investigations have revealed that Chowdhary was a key conspirator and facilitator in the supply of explosives in the case, registered in September last year after the seizure of a huge cache of electric detonators, ‘Nonels’ (non-electric detonators) and explosives,” the spokesperson said.

Initially, around 81,000 electric detonators were seized from a vehicle in an area under the Md Bazar police station in Birbhum district by a team of the West Bengal Special Task Force. The vehicle’s driver, Ashish Keora, was arrested. Subsequent searches had led to the seizure of another 2,525 electric detonators, more than 27,000 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, more than 1,625 kilograms of gelatin sticks, one pistol with magazine and four live rounds of ammunition, the spokesperson said.

Other accused were arrested in the course of these searches, the official said, adding that the NIA is continuing with its investigations.