Explosive materials, gelatin sticks seized

Berhampur: Three persons were arrested and huge quantities of explosive materials including 42 gelatin sticks were seized from a house at Bhaliagada on the outskirts of the city here, police said on Monday.

The explosive materials were stored in a house in Bhaliagada area for use in blasting work in an illegally run stone crusher unit, they said.

The materials seized during the raid yesterday included 42 gelatin sticks, five bags of ammonium nitrate, 15 bags of urea, several detonators and bundles of fuse wire.

One of the owners of the stone crusher unit and two workers were arrested, while the owner of the house managed to escape, police said adding efforts are on to nab him.

Though the materials were meant for blasting of rocks for crusher unit, police are taking the matter seriously as Maoist-hit areas of south Odisha are close to Ganjam district, a police official said.