Delhi: 65 kg illegal fire crackers being smuggled from Ghaziabad seized; 1 held

NEW DELHI: A man has been arrested for allegedly smuggling 65 kg of illegal fireworks into the national capital ahead of Diwali, police said on Sunday. The arrested individual, identified as Rohit, was caught smuggling the consignment of illegal firecrackers from Ghaziabad in a car.

Providing details about the incident, Delhi Police stated that on the night of September 20-21, a police team was assigned night patrol duty in the area of Nihal Vihar Police Station to prevent crime.

At around 3:15 AM, officers noticed a black car heading towards Sunday Bazar near Chander Vihar, Nihal Vihar. Finding the vehicle suspicious, they signalled it to stop and proceeded to search the car. During the search, they found four plastic bags filled with firecrackers placed on the rear and middle seats.

When questioned about the bags, the driver failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. While he was being interrogated, two other individuals in the car managed to escape.

Further investigation revealed that the driver was Rohit, while the two absconders were identified as Vinit and Babloo.

A case was registered under sections 288/125/3(5) BNS and 9(B) of the Explosives Act, 1984, at Nihal Vihar Police Station, and Rohit was arrested. The black car used for transporting the illegal firecrackers was also seized. An investigation into the matter is ongoing.

The Delhi government has imposed a complete ban on the production, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers in the national capital to address air pollution during the winter. The ban will remain in effect until January 1, 2025.

"In an effort to control rising pollution levels during winter, the Kejriwal government has imposed a complete ban on the manufacturing, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers. Online sales and delivery of firecrackers are also prohibited. These restrictions will remain in place until January 1, 2025," Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said in an earlier statement. Rai also announced that the Environment Department will use drones to monitor air quality at pollution hotspots as part of a 21-point plan to tackle air pollution during the winter months.

"For the first time in Delhi, the Environment Department will deploy drones for real-time air quality monitoring at pollution hotspots, as part of the 21-point Winter Action Plan to curb air pollution in the cold season," Rai said on Thursday. (ANI)

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