Explosives haul from lorry on TASMAC duty at Tiruvarur

A search is on for the drivers of the vehicle. Sources said that the lorry (TN 50-K 7264) reached Tiruvarur TASMAC godown with a load of liquor bottles from Coimbatore on April 27. Mohan and Raj, both residents of Karaikal, were the drivers, while Ramesh was the cleaner. 

During inquiries Ramesh told the officials that on reaching Tiruvarur, both the drivers had asked him to take care of the vehicle and left. They had asked him to inform them when the officials come for unloading the consignment.

Meanwhile, a police team, led by Ennore inspector Jagannathan reached Tiruvarur on Monday as it had received information about the presence of powerful explosives and raw materials in a vehicle that transported liquor bottles from Coimbatore to Tiruvarur. When the team searched the lorry, it found a powerful explosive kept in a lunch box, a country bomb, explosive substances and a few lethal weapons.

Immediately, the cleaner Ramesh was questioned, but he was found to be innocent. Subsequently, they tried to contact the drivers, Mohan and Raj, but their mobile phones were switched off. So, the Chennai police returned. 

Meanwhile, Tiruvarur police, who learnt about the search operation and the seizure, reached the spot, led by DSP Sukumaran, and conducted investigation in the godown. A sniffer dog was also brought to the spot. 

While, Tiruvarur police were conducting an inquiry, they found a SUV (TN 22 BM 6066) with an AIADMK flag. Inquiries revealed that the car was seized by the Ennore police in a case and was used by Ennore inspector Jegannathan to come to Tiruvarur. They continued their investigation, while the Ennore inspector Jegannathan left for Chennai in the SUV.