Karnataka - Mysore

Chemicals seized from farmhouse, eight held

MYSORE: The Mysore police on Tuesday raided a farmhouse on the outer ring road in Metagalli Police Station limits and recovered large amount of chemicals stored illegally.

Eight people have been arrested in this connection.

The police have been keeping a watch on chemical factories in Metagalli industrial area here after the disclosure that chemicals were used to trigger the recent serial blasts in Bangalore.

The police, who ruled out the possibility of use of these chemicals in the manufacture of explosives, are interrogating the prime accused, Chandru.

The seven other arrested were working in the illegal chemical manufacturing unit in the farmhouse, the police said.

According to the police, 12 barrels of nitric acid, 20 bags of magnesium and two tonnes of potash were seized from the farmhouse.

“These chemicals were used to manufacture potassium nitrate which was being transported to fireworks factories in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu,” the police said.

Police Commissioner Parashivamurthy told The Hindu that Chandru did not have licence to manufacture potassium nitrate. “Potassium nitrate is a basic ingredient in firecrackers, and magnesium is used to give the sparkling effect. Chandru was illegally transporting the chemicals to factories in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu