Illegal firecracker unit busted in northeast Delhi, 3 arrested

New Delhi: Delhi Police busted an alleged illegal firecracker manufacturing unit operating from a house in the Gokalpuri area, apprehended three men and recovered around 1,500 firecrackers and 34 kg of suspected explosive powder, officials said on Tuesday.

The raid was conducted on October 26 following information about illegal manufacturing and storage of firecrackers on the second floor of a house in northeast Delhi’s Gokalpur village, they said. The police found the three accused, Mohit Goswami, 29, Arman, 24, and Sameer, 21, all residents of Farrukhnagar in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, at the premises, they said. They failed to produce any valid licence or permit authorising the manufacture or storage of firecrackers, police said. During the search, the police recovered five boxes containing 880 finished cold pyro firecrackers, 600 unfinished firecrackers, 34 kg of suspected explosive powder, empty firecracker shells, a filling machine, a weighing machine and packaging material. The illegal manufacturing and storage of explosive substances in a residential area posed a serious threat to public safety, police said. An FIR has been registered at Gokalpuri police station under relevant sections of the BNS and the Explosives Act. Further investigation is underway.

The three accused have no previous criminal involvement, police said.