Jajpur, July 9: Police today arrested one Atintya Sundar Sahu for carrying explosives on a Dhenkanal-bound passenger bus near Chandikhole.

The cops seized eight quintals of explosives, including 5.5 quintals of sulphur powder, 2.4 quintals aluminium sulphate and 10kg magnesium, from Sahu, a 26-year-old resident of Tigiria in Cuttack. The explosives were found concealed inside some boxes that were put in the luggage and covered with tarpaulin atop the bus.

“We have seized the explosives and arrested one person. The consignment was from Calcutta and on its way to Tigiria in Cuttack district. As the bus travels to Dhenkanal via Manguli, the explosives would have been unloaded at Khuntuni and later transported to Tigiria, the final destination in another hired vehicle,” said Jajpur police chief Deepak Kumar. “The youth said he was carrying the explosives for those, who hunt animals and birds in the forest. He also said he prepared fire crackers and bombs with the materials,” said Kumar.

Kumar, however, said the explosives were being used to make bombs and hand grenades goons and dacoits use. The police have also detained the driver, conductor and helper of the bus for further inquiry. The trio have, however, pleaded their innocence.

“We were unaware about the packets’ contents as we usually don’t check them at the loading point. At the time of loading the luggage atop the bus, the youth had disclosed that he was carrying powder used to polish marble,” said bus conductor Biswanath Nayak. The seizure of explosives bound for Cuttack comes on the heels of a spate of criminal incidents in that district.

On Sunday, Cuttack witnessed twin murders of in which secretary of Sheikh Bazaar Puja Committee Keshab Behera and a young entrepreneur Mahesh Jena.

Though Behera’s killers, who are the henchmen of dreaded goon Tito, have been arrested, Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police are having a trying time to curb incidents of crime.

The cops had seized two country-made pistols and seven rounds of ammunition from the henchmen.