Fertilizer shops to keep track of buyers

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore police on Thursday inquired fertilizer shop owners to find out if anyone bought raw materials used in explosives.

Multiple teams of police carried out searches in fertilizer cum pesticide shops located in Madukkarai, KG Chavady, Chettipalayam and Kinathukadavu areas located in district outskirts.

The action comes as even fertilizer substances like ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sulphur and some cleaning agents could be used in the making of explosives.

Further, the police took a list of people who bought such raw materials in bulk.

As there is a possibility of miscreants to buy these chemicals by pretending to be farmers, the shopkeepers were asked to take down details of the buyers after confirming their identity.

The police have also shared their numbers for shopkeepers to alert them if the buyers look suspicious.

Following the car blast incident, which killed terror suspect Jameesha Mubin on October 23, the police have begun to tighten their security mechanism. Investigations revealed that Mubin bought raw materials for making explosives through e-commerce sites. Already, representatives of e-commerce sites were asked to alert police on those making orders for such chemical substances.