Tip-off leads cops to another IED in Old Seemapuri flat

New Delhi: Weeks after an Improvised Explosive Device was found at the Ghazipur flower market in East Delhi, the Special Cell team probing the case on Thursday rushed to a small flat in the Old Seemapuri area of the Shahdara district to discover an abandoned bag, from which another 3kg-IED was recovered, sending waves of panic in the area.

Special Cell teams were mobilised immediately to attend to a tip-off, following which the National Security Guard was called to the spot, which went ahead to disarm the explosive device in a controlled explosion.

Significantly, sources said that the Special Cell was tipped off about the most recent IED while it was tracing the accused who had intended to set off the IED at Ghazipur flower market on January 14.

The police said that the Seemapuri house from where the IED was recovered on Thursday was house number "D-49", which locals said was occupied by tenants who had vacated before the police descended upon the flat.

Officials investigating the Ghazipur flower market IED, the tip-off alerted them about suspicious men living at the address and that they might be connected to the case. The police followed up with raids, during which they recovered the explosive-laden bag.

They said that tenants had fled the flat and that several teams have already been tasked with an intense search operation to trace them.

While the Millennium Post tried to reach out to the local police authority, they confirmed that Special Cell will respond as it is pursuing the investigation.

According to sources, the suspects were hiding at a strategic location near the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Border. The crude bomb found at the Ghazipur market in January was first discovered by a local who noticed an unattended bag and alerted authorities.

While the NSG had disposed of this bomb in a controlled explosion, investigations had shown that chemical compounds like RDX and ammonium nitrate were found in the IED. According to the NSG team, the IED also contained RDX, a 9-volt battery, iron pieces to work as shrapnel, and a timer device attached to it.

Even the IED recovered from Old Seemapuri on Thursday contained the same composition, sources confirmed, while adding that detailed forensic studies are underway.

Reports have suggested that the IED recovered from Ghazipur was part of a 24-bomb consignment allegedly sent from Pakistan. However, the police refused to confirm the theory.

In the last month, the Delhi Police have recovered several such explosives across the Capital, which has raised a major concern over security here.