1 held, huge cache of explosives seized: Cops

The Karnataka police on Monday intercepted a substantial cache of explosives near the border of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and arrested the person transporting the hazardous materials, according to people familiar with the matter.
The police said that the seizure took place at the Nangali check post in Mulabagilu taluk of Kolar district during a routine inspection of vehicles. Zakir Hussain (40), who was transporting the explosives, was arrested and the police seized 1,200 gelatin sticks, 7 box wires, and 6 detonators concealed within a vehicle, they added. Kolar SP M Narayan said, “We have arrested a person, seized a large cache of explosives, and used a car for transporting them. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the explosives were being transported from Madanapalli in Andhra Pradesh to a stone quarry in the city. The exact reason for the explosives will be known soon after arresting another accused who is at large. A police team was sent to Madanapalli to trace the accused. A case was registered at Nangali police station under the explosives act.”
This comes in the backdrop of heightened security following recent events, including the Rameshwaram cafe blast in Whitefield, Bengaluru. On March 19, a similar discovery was made in Bengaluru, where explosive materials were found abandoned near Prakriya School in Bellandur in the city. Recent bomb threats targeting schools in Bengaluru and other states have heightened anxieties about potential security threats. While subsequent probes deemed these threats to be unfounded, the discovery of explosives in close proximity to educational institutions underscores the need for heightened vigilance, the police added.