Explosives hunt: Kerala cops groping in the dark

KALPETTA: The investigation into the illegal trafficking of ammonium nitrate from Bairakuppa in Karnataka to various districts in the state including Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad is reaching no where with the police groping in the dark. Police now say that they are also looking into the suspected involvement of extremists in this issue.The police on December 18, 2011, had recovered 19 sacks,each containing 50 kilogram of ammonium nitrate from Pulpalli, bordering Karnataka. Though the police were able to seize the cache, they have failed to nab the suspects.Speaking to Express, Circle Inspector Ashad S, who is the Investigation head, said, “Investigation is facing difficulty with the non-cooperation from the part of the Karnataka Police. Normally, the illegal ammonium nitrate trafficking is used in the granite quarries. As we have recovered a large cache of ammonium nitrate, we are also looking into other angles including the terrorist connection.”The illegal transportation of explosives is still continueing uninterrupted with another police official saying that ammonium nitrate has been transported at least twice a week through these points along the Kabani river.What prompts the police to extend the investigation beyond Wayanad is the huge quantity of the explosives seized and the increased danger of the high potency of the ammonium nitrate after it is being mixed with diesel.Police sources further disclosed that they have received a definite lead that ammonium nitrate has been transported to other districts also. Earlier, after failing to nab the suspects in the December 18 recovery, five police officials including the Pulpalli Sub Inspector C M Jose had been transferred. Later, after allegations of attempt to derail the investigation, the Police Department re-installed the SI in Pulpalli itself. Seen as a heaven for trafficking of spirit and ganja, the 15km border between Kerala and Karnataka near Pulpalli is used by the smugglers to traffic the chemical from Bairakuppa in Karnataka to Kerala. Officials also said that there was no mechanism to intercept or trace the illegal transportation with hardly any checkposts or security points to nab the miscreants.