1000 kgs of explosives seized along with kingpin of huge racket in Odisha

The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police has arrested kingpin of a racket supplying explosives from Odisha, a senior officer of the force said Sunday. The STF acting on a tip-off had arrested Mustafa Sheikh alias Bomb Mustafa from Odisha on Saturday for his connection with the seizure of near 1000 kg of explosives from inside a goods vehicle, which was intercepted on the Tala bridge in the city's northern part.

"Mustafa is a resident of Dantan in Paschim Midnapore district and the kingpin of the racket. He was wanted in the seizure of 1000 kg explosive substances," the police officer said. On March 10, the STF had seized 27 gunny bags containing about 1,000 kg of potassium nitrate packer in bags from a goods vehicle in the Chitpur area of the city. The explosives were to be used for making explosives and two youths of Odisha were arrested.

The arrested persons have been identified as residents of Balasore district, sources said. Incidentally, the STF had arrested a North 24 Parganas district resident from Purba Medinipur district for illegally procuring explosives from Odisha with the help middlemen for his firecracker shop in his village.