The Koraput Town police on Thursday arrested three persons on charges of possessing and transporting explosive materials to other places without having requisite licences.
The police also seized around 3 quintals of high power liquid explosives, `82,600 in cash and three mobile phones from them.
Main culprit, Subalo Choudhury, a resident of the Jagdalpur area of Chhattisgarh was arrested first and his Bolero, which was used for transporting explosives was seized. Two others, Jitendra Reddy and P Murali of Semiliguda, were arrested for supplying explosive to Subalo.
Astonishingly, Subalo identifying himself as a reporter of a Chhattisgarhi newspaper was using a theft Bolero to avoid police check. He is suspected to be a regular transporter of explosives, police added.
On September 16, a complaint of a Bolero theft had been filed at the police station. The police conducted a search drive and found the vehicle on September 23 with some explosive particles in it and detained Subalo for investigation.
A police team lead by IIC Birendranath Karkara recovered three quintals of explosive materials in 68 packets from Tota Ambaguda jungle near Podagad of Koraput.
After investigation, the police arrested licence-holder supplier of explosives Jitendra Reddy and P Murali from Semiliguda for supplying explosives to Subalo, who had not a valid licence.