Terrorists misused explosives meant for quarries

KOCHI: The arrest of two terror suspects involved in a robbery at Kizakkambalam confirmed the intelligence reports of terrorists misusing the explosives stocked at the quarries and metal crusher units across the state to carry out jihadist operations.The Crime Branch confirmed that the explosives used to execute the robbery were bought from the owner of a metal crusher in June, 2002.Explosive materials such as ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin gelatin sticks and detonator, that were used to carry out a series of bomb blasts in Coimbatore, Bangalore and Kozhikode were purchased from the state,  the agency confirmed after grilling the arrested duo of K P Shabeer and Bomb Ismail. “Ammonium nitrate used in the Bangalore bomb blast was robbed from a shop in Kurupampady. The Tamil Nadu Police had informed that to carry out the bomb blast in Coimbatore, gelatin sticks and chemicals were transported from Kerala. Similarly, in most of the bomb blasts that took place in South India, explosives were sourced from Kerala,” a Crime Branch official said.According to the officials, involvement of expert bomb-maker Vedimara Thajudheen was evident in majority of these cases. “Thajudheen had close links with K P Sabir and Thadiyantavide Nazeer. It was Nazeer, who introduced him to terrorist activities. He was trained for making bombs and planting it in sensitive and busy localities,” officials said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sources confirmed that the risk is high as a large number of metal crushers and quarries operate across the state.“Lack of proper monitoring makes it easier for such anti-national elements to acquire explosives,” sou rces said.However, Crime Branch investigation officer Biju K Stephan, who arrested Shabeer and Ismail, said that while it was easier to purchase explosives before the Coimbatore bomb blast, the scenario has changed now.“It’s true that the explosives were purchased from Kerala to execute several bomb blasts. But after the Coimbatore blast, the metal crusher units and quarries operating in the state are under constant police vigil,” Biju added.