Over 1000 kg firecrackers seized from Mandoli shop, owner nabbed

The police have seized over 1,000 kg banned firecrackers after conducting a raid on a grocery-cum-general store and have arrested its owner, officials said on Monday. The 45-year-old Rakesh, a resident of Navin Shahdara, had stored the firecrackers for sale during Diwali, they said.

Acting on a tip-off about illegal sale of firecrackers at Mandoli road, a raid was conducted on the shop on Saturday, police said. "Different types of banned high decibel firecrackers weighing 1,320 kilogram were seized from the shop," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Ved Prakash Surya said.

A case was registered at the Jyoti Nagar police station and the shop owner was arrested, the officer said. The Supreme Court had in 2018 banned polluting firecrackers and ordered that only green ones, which is said to cause 30 per cent less pollution, can be manufactured and sold.

Investigations revealed that Rakesh had stored the banned firecrackers for sale on Diwali, the officer added.