One of the biggest seizures of explosives last week in Karkala near Udupi has yet again exposed the vulnerability of coastal Karnataka to terror acts.
The seizure of 95 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, along with 95,000 electrical detonators and 19,250 metres of safety fuse, has also revealed that the state intelligence has failed to keep tabs on stocking of explosives for supply to stone quarries and hydro-electric power projects. The local police now suspect that part of the ammonium nitrate could have been diverted for use in terror acts.
The coastal Karnataka connection to incidents of blasts across the country surfaced in early 2008. The Bangalore serial blasts in 2008 and subsequent blasts elsewhere in the country brought various investigating agencies to this region.
After the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal in August last year, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) visited Mangalore, Udupi, Koppa and Karkala. The NIA chargesheet also confirms that Yasin was instrumental in setting up bases in Mangalore and surrounding areas.
This apart, a separate chargesheet filed by Delhi police this week stated that bombs used for serial blasts in New Delhi were manufactured at Vittalamakki in Koppa taluk of Chikmagalur district.
According to Karkala police, the huge cache of ammonium nitrate seized between March 24 and 27 belonged to one Biju Thomas. On February 7, 2007, Karkala police first arrested Biju for stocking excessive quantities of ammonium nitrate and seized 60 bags (300 kg) of ammonium nitrate.
In 2010, Bangalore city police, investigating the Chinnaswamy Stadium blasts case, had picked up Biju, but couldn’t get any leads about his role in terror activities. It was then the police submitted a report about large-scale stocking up of explosives and detonators without licence in and around Udupi.
Since then, Biju has been grilled by all agencies, including Intelligence Bureau, NIA and Bangalore police over the years. Out on bail after the 2007 case, Biju got back to his old business and last week raids showed that Biju has stored more than 95 tonnes of explosives.
“The search for Biju is still on. Police have been deployed at his godown. Three-four people who had allowed Biju to store ammonium nitrate in their homes were arrested and later released on station bail since they are witnesses,” Assistant Superintendent of Police Annamalai told Express. Presently, the case is still with Karkala police, he said.
A senior police official said though Biju was under surveillance since 2010, there was no evidence linking him to terror activities.