A major security scare unfolded in Kerala’s Palakkad district after police intercepted a pickup van carrying a massive cache of explosives cleverly concealed beneath a load of watermelons. The seizure, made late Wednesday night near Palakkad Medical College, has raised serious concerns about illegal transportation of hazardous materials through public roads.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs about explosives being smuggled into the state, teams from the Palakkad Town South Police intensified night checks across key routes. During one such inspection, officers noticed a pickup van behaving suspiciously and signalled it to stop. The vehicle, however, sped away, triggering a brief chase before it was finally cornered.
A thorough search of the van revealed more than 100 boxes of gelatin sticks along with over 20 boxes of detonators, all hidden under crates of watermelons to avoid detection. The driver, identified as Santhil, was immediately taken into custody.
During preliminary questioning, the driver told investigators that the explosive materials were loaded from Coimbatore and were meant to be delivered to a stone quarry in Thrissur district. Police officials said the explosives were being moved without proper disclosure, posing a serious threat to public safety.
Authorities have confirmed that a case will be registered under the Explosive Substances Act. Investigators are also probing whether this consignment is linked to a wider network involved in the illegal movement of explosives for quarrying activities, a practice that has surfaced in previous cases as well.
