Crackdown on bomb-makers

KOCHI: The police have decided to form special squads to crack down on the  growing number of bomb-makers in the state. Squads will be formed in every district to curb the use of explosives for terror activities.     “The squad will operate under a DySP in every district. It will have a circle-inspector, two sub-inspectors and civil police officers. Locals will   also be involved in its operations,” a police official said.Hi-tech gadgets will be made available to the squad for detecting   explosives. The department also plans to attach a dog squad with the special  squad. “Such squads will become an integral part of the police force in the wake of rising terror activities. The special squad will have modern detonators,   robotic bomb disposal system, high-definition cameras and modern preventive  jackets and bomb-scanning equipment,” the official added. The police are also planning to provide a reward of `10,000 for those who give information about such illegal activities. “We will pay people who  inform us about those who acquire explosive materials. The name and identity of such informers will be kept confidential,” an official said. Earlier, there had been reports that explosives used at quarries are being  used for bomb-making and terror activities. In this wake, checking in quarries was intensified over the last few years. Last year, the police had cracked down on several secret places where large quantities of ammonium nitrate was illegally stored. These explosives were smuggled from other states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.