Apprehended: Police seizes truck full of explosives in Risalpur

DSP Cantonment claims the suspects offered Rs0.5 million in bribe to police officials.

RISALPUR:

A truck full of explosives was apprehended by the Risalpur police in Nowshera district during a routine check on Monday.  The vehicle was reportedly en route to the tribal areas from Punjab. 

Speaking to the media, Cantonment DSP Akhtar Ali Khan said SHO Risalpur police station Abdul Wahid Khan informed him at 10:45am that their station had set up a checkpoint in Risalpur Phattak.

The police stopped the truck for a search and recovered a huge cache of explosives.

According to the DSP, Sub Inspector Haji Muhammad Khan reported the truck contained 15,000 metres of primer cord (wire used in making bombs) and 3,000 dynamite sticks. Shah Jehan and Irshad, residents of Naguman, Daudzai on the outskirts of Peshawar were arrested for transporting the material.

Haji claimed the men offered him and other officials on duty Rs0.5 million as a bribe, which he refused.  The suspects were moved to Risalpur police station, according to the DSP.

During interrogation the suspects confessed they had smuggled explosives to Peshawar and the tribal areas, added Akhtar.

“The suspects said the truck was loaded in Sanjiwal, Punjab after which they were directed to hand over the explosives to a man named Yaqoob in Peshawar. Yaqoob was meant to transport the goods to Mohmand and Khyber Agency.”

Both the suspects said they had been paid Rs35,000 to transport the explosives. “We hope to make more arrests after further interrogation,” shared DSP Akhtar.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2013.