Baripada police, under the Baisinga police limits, conducted a major raid on Wednesday and seized a huge cache of explosive materials from Padmanabhpur village along National Highway-18 in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. The explosives were reportedly stored inside a locked house, prompting police to carry out a targeted operation based on prior intelligence.

During the search, police recovered 107 bags of explosive substances, along with three drums containing metal powder and gunpowder, commonly used in firecracker manufacturing. The owner of the house has been detained for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.

Illegal Firecracker Manufacturing Suspected

According to reports, the seized materials were allegedly intended for the illegal production of firecrackers. The raw materials were reportedly being smuggled into the Balasore–Mayurbhanj border areas for manufacturing purposes.

Incident Prompted Police Action

The raid followed a recent explosion in Baisinga village that claimed the life of an individual. Villagers subsequently informed the police that a pickup van was regularly delivering raw materials in large quantities to the area. Acting on this information, authorities carried out the seizure to prevent further risk.

Investigation Underway

Police have detained the house owner for questioning. It has been reported that the owner had rented out houses in the vicinity, which could have contributed to the hazardous conditions leading to accidents and fatalities. The tenant of the house is currently absconding, and police are actively trying to apprehend them.

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Authorities have highlighted that the cooperation of local residents was instrumental in safely recovering the explosive materials and averting potential accidents.