Illegally stored firecrackers seized from Balasore’s old stadium during raid

In a swift operation, police in Balasore unearthed a stash of illegally stored firecrackers on Monday near the old stadium, close to a designated firecracker bazaar. The explosives were found hidden dangerously close to a drain, raising serious safety concerns.

Also Read: Firecrackers worth over Rs 20 Lakh seized in Odisha; 3 arrested

Acting on a tip-off, a police team conducted a surprise raid and discovered the firecrackers concealed in a spot not meant for storage. The materials were allegedly being kept for sale ahead of the Diwali festival, without any proper license or safety measures.

Officials said the recovered stock was extremely hazardous and had the potential to cause major accidents, especially in a crowded market zone.

The incident has triggered concerns over illegal firecracker trade in the region. Local police have increased surveillance and are continuing checks in nearby areas to prevent similar violations.

Further investigation is underway to identify the individuals involved in storing and planning to distribute the banned materials.

“We carried out a surprise raid, and recovered and seized the illegal firecrackers. We feel sorry that such firecrackers should not have been sold in the market. Our raid will keep continuing in the days ahead,” a senior member of the team expressed.

“We have not yet ascertained who had stored the illegal firecrackers. Whoever might have kept, but our duty is to seize the crackers and destroy them,” the official added.

Earlier in another incident, a team of cops had conducted a marathon raid across multiple locations in Biridi, Kujang, and Raghunathpur police limits of Jagatsinghpur, seizing a huge quantity of firecrackers worth over Rs 20 lakh, official sources said on September 28.

Reported By: Satyajit Senapati