Hooghly: 515 kg of illegal fireworks seized, four arrested

Kolkata: In a major crackdown ahead of Kali Puja, Hooghly Rural Police seized around 515 kilograms of illegal fireworks and arrested four persons from the Malapara area of Haripal on Wednesday night.

Acting on a tip-off, officers from the Haripal Police Station conducted a raid at a house adjacent to a girls’ school. During the search, police recovered a large stock of banned firecrackers stored for sale.

The arrested have been identified as Deepankar Baske, Arup Das, Bablu Bauri and Moti Bauri. All four are scheduled to be produced before the court on Thursday.

Police sources said the raid was part of a special drive against illegal firework manufacturing and trading in the district ahead of the festive season. “We have received multiple complaints about the use of banned and loud firecrackers in various areas. Similar raids will continue to ensure public safety,” said CI Prashanta Chattopadhyay of Hooghly Rural Police.