Manjeri / Malappuram, Kerala: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested T.A. Harris, identified by the agency as the alleged mastermind in the case arising from the seizure of a vast quantity of explosives from a hollow bricks factory at Chemmad, near Tirurangadi in Malappuram district, the agency reported.
Background and arrest
According to the NIA, Harris was taken into custody from Manjeri in Malappuram. The arrest follows the February 7 seizure of explosives at the Chemmad site, which prompted the state police to hand the case to the federal agency after preliminary investigations indicated the materials had been procured and stored without the required licence and that the operation carried implications for national security.
The cache found at the factory compound comprised a substantial quantity of industrial explosives and detonators. The NIA statement said Harris was allegedly involved in the illegal procurement, stockpiling and distribution of these materials, and that searches and evidence collection linked him centrally to the network under investigation.
What was seized
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Gelatin sticks | 89,600 |
| Non-electric detonators | 10,500 |
The explosives were reportedly stored in boxes and hidden among onion sacks at the hollow bricks factory compound, according to the NIA. The discovery prompted the transfer of the investigation to the central agency from the Kerala police.
Scope of the investigation so far
Since taking over the probe, the NIA said it has conducted searches at about 19 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. During these operations, the agency recovered digital devices and documents believed to be material to the inquiry.
- Searches covered quarry-related locations in Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Kannur districts before further arrests.
- Three persons had been arrested earlier in Karnataka; the total number of arrests in the case has now reached 10, the NIA reported.
The agency has characterised the seizure as significant given the scale of the material and the implications for public safety and security. The handover to the NIA followed assessment that the explosives had been brought in without statutory licences and that the operation extended beyond the jurisdictional reach of a single State police force.
Local context and implications
The Chemmad seizure alarmed local residents and prompted heightened scrutiny of industrial sites and brick-making units in coastal Malappuram. Hollow bricks factories and quarries, which dot parts of northern Kerala, are not ordinarily associated with the storage of controlled explosives in this magnitude. The discovery therefore raised questions about supply chains, licensing and regulatory oversight.
Investigators have focused on how such large quantities were procured and transported, and whether existing licencing mechanisms were circumvented. The recovered digital devices and documents are likely to be central to establishing procurement routes, financial transactions and any wider network facilitating the stockpiling and distribution of the explosives.
Next steps in probe and public safety
The NIA will proceed with custodial questioning of Harris and other detenues as it seeks to map the network implicated in the seizure. Additional arrests or charges may follow as evidence is processed and analysed.
Officials have not yet disclosed charges formally framed against the accused in public filings; court procedures and further investigative steps will determine the precise nature of prosecutions. The agency's actions underscore the federal probe's emphasis on preventing misuse of industrial explosives and dismantling any organised supply chain.
Local authorities and security agencies will likely continue joint verification of licensing records and inspections of similar industrial sites in the region. Residents in affected areas are advised to follow any directions issued by police or the NIA and to report suspicious movements or storage of regulated materials to the nearest police station.
“The NIA took over the investigation citing its national security implications,” the report said.
The case remains under active investigation by the NIA. Further details may emerge as searches are concluded and evidence is formally processed in the coming days.
