New Delhi, Oct 11: A total of 590 kg of illegal firecrackers worth Rs 50 lakh were seized from a shop in the Jama Masjid area and two people arrested, officials said on Sunday.

Ahead of the festive season, the Vigilance branch of Central District was directed to conduct surprise raids in market areas to curb the illegal storage and sale of firecrackers. In compliance with this, inputs were collected, and secret informers were activated.

Following this, specific information was received regarding the illegal storage of firecrackers for sale during the festive season at a Jama Masjid shop, at 1110, named SS & Sons Ram Dass Janki Dass in Bazar Guliyan.

Acting upon the information, Sub-Inspectors Parmendra Kumar and Narender, Assistant Sub-Inspector Bijender, Head Constable Sunny, and Constables Gurcharan and Ct. Rajesh conducted a surprise raid on the shop and found that a signboard was covered with a white plastic sack to conceal its identity.

The officials further informed that initially the shop appeared vacant, with only wooden and glass showcases inside. During a thorough inspection of the wooden ceiling, the police team noticed a marked wooden panel measuring approximately 4 × 4 feet. On examination, the panel was found to have a sliding mechanism concealing a large storage space above the shop.

The team searched the concealed storage area and discovered a large quantity of firecrackers stored illegally. Upon weighing, the total quantity was found to be approximately 590 kg, with an estimated market value of Rs 50 lakh.

Along with the illegal firecrackers, the team also apprehended two persons, Janki Dass and Abheek Dass, from the location. Both the accused, who are residents of Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar, were handed over to the local Jama Masjid police for further investigation.

An FIR No. 534/2026 under Sections 288/223(b) of the BNSS and Sections 5/9(B) of the Explosives Act, 1884, was registered at PS Jama Masjid, and further investigation was taken up by the local police.

During questioning, both apprehended persons admitted their involvement in the present case and disclosed that the firecrackers had been supplied by another person, the official statement read.

Visakhapatnam, Oct 11: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized foreign-origin gold worth Rs 8.98 crore near Visakhapatnam and arrested two persons.

The gold weighing over 5.8 kg was seized from a car after a high-speed chase near Visakhapatnam, the agency said on Sunday.

The gold hidden under the car seat was being transported from Kolkata to Hyderabad.

According to the DRI, it seized 5,832.90 grams of gold worth Rs 8.98 crore in the market from a car travelling from Kolkata to Hyderabad, following a chase and search on the night of October 8-9.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials maintained heightened vigilance along the National Highway. They intercepted the car carrying two passengers after a prolonged chase.

After sustained questioning and a systematic search of the vehicle, officials detected a specially fabricated cavity beneath the leg space of the front co-passenger seat. They recovered three packets containing 5,832.90 grams of 24-carat gold of 999 purity from the concealed compartment.

According to the officials, the gold had been smuggled into India through the India-Bangladesh border and was being transported to Hyderabad.

Officials seized the recovered gold under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. They arrested and produced both passengers before the jurisdictional magistrate, who remanded them to judicial custody.

The DRI said in another press release on Sunday that it intensified its crackdown on cross-border gold smuggling from Bangladesh, seizing around 7.8 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at more than Rs 11.50 crore in intelligence-led operations conducted on October 8-9 in the eastern region.

The operations exposed the use of road and railway networks to transport smuggled gold from border areas towards Kolkata, resulting in the arrest of six persons, the DRI said.

The officials seized 50 gold bars, weighing around 6.8 kg and valued at approximately Rs 10 crore, from a four-wheeler at Dankuni Toll Plaza. The vehicle, carrying four persons, was travelling from Banpur, near the Bangladesh border, towards Kolkata.

On the same day, DRI teams in West Bengal intercepted passengers on trains at two railway stations, i.e., Malda Town Railway Station and New Jalpaiguri Railway Station and seized around 1 kg of foreign-origin gold, valued at around Rs 1.5 crore, from their possession.

New Delhi, Oct 11: The Delhi Police have apprehended 13 people after busting an illegal gambling racket and seized Rs 2,01,000 in cash, 416 playing cards, and 2100 poker tokens and chips in Shahdara district, officials said on Sunday.

According to the police, Special Staff, Shahdara District, received specific information on October 10 about alleged illegal gambling at the premises. A raiding team comprising Sub-inspectors Subash and Vishal Rana, and head constables Ravi, Paramvir and Rajender acted on the information.

Further, the team reached the alleged location at 3.20 a.m. and conducted a raid. During the raid, the 13 people were found allegedly indulging in gambling using playing cards, cash, and poker chips.

The apprehended persons were identified as Rajesh Oberoi, 37, a resident of Ram Vihar; Amrik Singh alias Lucky, 33, of Radhe Shyam Park Extension; Shubham, 29, of Uttaranchal Vihar in Ghaziabad; Sohail, 38, of Old Govindpura in Jagatpuri; and Gurpreet Singh, 28, of Hargobind Enclave in Anand Vihar.

The others were identified as Rajeev Kumar Verma, 49, of Madhu Vihar; Vimal Kumar, 42, of Krishna Nagar; Laksay Sharma, 25, of Sunny Enclave in Anand Vihar; Pradeep Kumar, 40, of Ganesh Nagar; Omprakash, 56, of Laxmi Nagar; Mahender, 46, of Guru Ramdas Nagar in Laxmi Nagar; Puneet Kumar, 47, of Laxmi Nagar; and Samardeep Singh, 46, of Pandav Nagar.

The police seized Rs 2,01,000 in cash, 416 playing cards and 2,100 poker tokens or chips during the raid. Each token or chip was stated to have a value of Rs 1,000.

The accused were booked under sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Delhi Public Gambling Act in FIR number 355/2026 on October 10.

Further investigation is underway to establish the complete facts and circumstances of the case and ascertain other relevant aspects of the alleged gambling activities, the police said in a statement issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajendra Prasad Meena.

The police said they remain committed to taking firm and sustained action against illegal gambling and other unlawful activities in the district.

“Special drives and intelligence-based operations will continue to maintain public order and ensure strict enforcement of the law,” the statement mentioned.