‘Mumbhai’: Explosive laden vehicle, uranium and now 12k gelatine sticks

New Delhi, May 19: First it was an explosives laden vehicle parked outside the home of Mukesh Ambani. Following this was a seizure of uranium and now the Thane police have seized around 12,000 gelatine sticks from the Karivali area in Bhiwandi.

Acting on a tip-off the police seized 63 boxes of 12,000 gelatine sticks and four boxes of 3,008 detonators. However there is no indication that these are linked to the vehicle parked outside the home of Ambani with 20 gelatine sticks.

In February a Scorpio laden with gelatine sticks and a threat more was found by the Mumbai Police outside the residence of Ambani. In the instant case the Thane Police arrested one Gurunath Mhatre and accused him of possessing life-threatening material. He was produced before the Bhiwandi Court, which remanded him in police custody until May 22.

The police said that he did not have any legal document to possess the said material. The police which was on the another person accused of supplying the material to Mhatre will be produced before the court today.

Despite knowing that it (Gelatine sticks) is injurious to human lives, Gurunath Kashinath Mhatre possessed gelatine sticks and electric detonators in huge quantities. An FIR has been registered against the accused for having illegal possession of the substances without any licence and the accused has been taken under police custody, the Thane police said in its statement.

It may be recalled that earlier this month, the National Investigation Agency took over the probe following the recovery of natural uranium in Mumbai. The case relates to the seizure of 7.1 kgs of 'Natural Uranium' having value of about Rs 21.30 crores from illegal possession of accused persons Jigar Jayesh Pandya and Abu Tahir Afzal Choudhary. The case relates to the seizure of 7.1 kgs of 'Natural Uranium' having value of about Rs 21.30 crores from illegal possession of accused persons Jigar Jayesh Pandya and Abu Tahir Afzal Choudhary, the NIA said in a note.

On May 5, the Maharashtra ATS has arrested two men who were in possession of uranium.

Officials tell OneIndia that Pandya and Tahir had been trying to sell the uranium online for Rs 25 crore.

A dummy customer was sent by the Maharashtra ATS, who in turn secured a sample of the same.

The sample was then sent to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, following which it was confirmed that it was uranium. Preliminary investigations reveal that Tahir's father opens scrap yard in Mankhurd and had bought a truck filled with factory waste two years back. The uranium was part of this waste, the probe has found. The official cited above said that it is not clear as of now, how they managed to get their hands on the radioactive material.