Noida: Ahead of Diwali, firecrackers worth more than ₹8 lakh were seized in Noida and Greater Noida on Tuesday, police said, adding that five people were arrested on charges under the Explosives Act as the sale and storage of firecrackers are banned in the National Capital Region (NCR).
In the first incident, Kasna police in Greater Noida arrested a 50-year-old man, Pramod Kumar, a resident of Dadha village in Greater Noida, with firecrackers worth ₹4 lakh.
“On Tuesday, we received a tip-off that Kumar was moving firecrackers which are banned in NCR. We were told that he was involved in illegal firecrackers’ sale,” said a police officer part of the investigation, requesting anonymity, adding that 19 different types of firecrackers and a car were seized from his possession.
In the second incident, Bisrakh police arrested a 43-year-old man, Ashish Kumar, originally from Bihar but residing in Greater Noida West. Police also seized 14 different types of firecrackers worth ₹4 lakh from his possession.
In another incident, the Sector 39 police in Noida arrested Dheeraj Kumar, 25, a resident of Hajipur. “We recovered a huge quantity of firecrackers from Kumar’s possession, as he was said to be going to sell it,” said station house officer Jitendar Kumar Singh.
Similarly, Sector 113 police in Noida arrested two people with a huge quantity of firecrackers. Police have booked the suspects under sections of the Explosives Act and 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the BNS.
“All the police stations of Noida and Greater Noida have been alerted to keep an eye on selling and purchasing of firecrackers. Strict action will be taken if someone is found violating the law,” said a senior police officer requesting anonymity.
On October 10, Ghaziabad police seized firecrackers worth ₹6.25 crore stored at a warehouse in Bhojpur.