Two arrested for illegally manufacturing gunpowder

HYDERABAD: Task force sleuths arrested two persons for illegally manufacturing gunpowder and seized 1,360 kilos of gunpowder used for low-intensity blasts in quarries from their possession.
The accused, Md Zainulabedin Shabbir (57), a businessman from Edi Bazar and Hameed Khan (49), a businessman from Shalibanda were arrested by the police on Thursday from Vattepally area of Falaknuma.
Police seized 34 bags of gunpowder weighing 1,360 kilos, 450 kilos of Sodium Nitrate, 100 kilos of Sulphur, two cell phones and an autorickshaw from the possession of the accused.
According to police, in 1967, Shabbir’s father had established a licensed gunpowder manufacturing business at Edi Bazar. After the death of his father, Shabbir along with his brothers is taking care of the business.
Subsequently, due to family disputes, Shabbir started his own gunpowder manufacturing business. Shabbir came in contact with Hameed Khan, the seller of coal powder, an essential ingredient in gunpowder manufacturing process. “They hatched a plan and started making gunpowder without a license,” Hyderabad commissioner of police Anjani Kumar said.
The accused have been selling the gunpowder for Rs 45 a kilo to Satish and Vishnuvardhan of Karimnagar. The accused were transporting the explosive material through private transport agencies and the recipients, who are selling the gun powder to quarry operators for low-intensity rock blasting, are making online payments, police said. The arrested accused along with the seized material have been handed over to Falaknuma police for further investigation.