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.

Hyderabad, Oct 11: An agriculture scientist’s five-year-old daughter was kidnapped and murdered allegedly by a security guard at a gated community in Secunderabad, police said on Sunday.

The girl, who was kidnapped on Saturday evening, was found dead in the cellar of a clubhouse at Villa Orchids in Kowkur, Bollarum, where the family is residing

The girl’s hands and legs were tied, and her body was dumped in a water sump.

The kidnapper had reportedly called the girl’s family demanding a ransom of Rs 20 lakh. Though they agreed to pay the money, the accused had later switched off his phone.

Police suspect that the security guard murdered the child after demanding ransom. The suspect, identified as Vikram, was employed as a security guard at the gated community.

Moses Aureli (5) went missing while playing on Saturday evening near her villa in Villa Orchids in Kowkur under the limits of Bollarum Police Station of Malkajgiri Commissionerate.

Police registered a case on a complaint by the girl’s parents and launched an operation to trace the child.

Preliminary investigation by the police revealed that Vikram was following the girl before kidnapping her.

Police have formed 10 special teams to trace Vikram, whose phone was reportedly switched off near Secunderabad Railway Station.

Several police teams conducted searches in the surrounding areas on Saturday night. Drone cameras were also deployed as part of the search operations.

The police teams checked lodges and hotels around Secunderabad Railway Station.

Police were continuing the efforts to trace the suspect and establish the sequence of events leading to the child’s death.

According to residents, the security guard was removed from the job two days ago due to bad behaviour. He is suspected of having kidnapped and killed the child out of the grudge, as Aurelu’s grandfather was part of the committee that sacked Vikram following complaints from many residents.

The girl’s kidnapping and murder sent a shockwave among residents at the gated community and surrounding areas. They demanded that the police immediately apprehend the culprit and ensure that he gets the harshest punishment.