- 2 days ago
India Today's special investigation exposes an unchecked supply chain of explosive materials across Delhi NCR and Haryana, where substances like ammonium nitrate, NPK, and mining explosives are sold without verification. The report, anchored by Maria Shakeel, features experts Dr. Tara Kartha, Yashwardhan Azad, and Major General Sanjay Meston discussing the collapse of regulatory oversight following the November 10 Red Fort blast. As Major General Sanjay Meston states, 'This is a wake up call for the whole of nation. Common citizen also has a role in national security'. The investigation highlights how easily these components for improvised explosive devices can be procured, posing a significant threat to national security.
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00:00India Today Uncovers Explosive Truth
00:12Everyday Chemicals Extraordinary Danger
00:21Bomb Making 101 Available Off The Shelf
00:31Chemicals, Explosives, Fuel You Name It
00:40No ID, No Trail, No Regulation
00:49Zero Verification, 100% Risk
01:00Another Deadly Disaster Waiting To Happen
01:10That Is Our Top Focus On NewsTrack
01:13This Is The NewsTrack And I'm Maria Shaquille
01:20A Blast At The Red Fort On November 10th
01:2314 Innocent Lives Lost
01:24Countless Questions Still Haunt The Nation
01:28It Was Supposed To Be A Warning
01:30A Lesson Edged In Tragedy
01:32Yet The Question Remains
01:34Have We Truly Learned Our Lesson?
01:37The SIT Team Of India Today
01:39Has Uncovered Something Alarming And Deeply Disturbing
01:42A Thriving Unchecked Supply Chain Of Explosive Prone Materials Operating In Plain Sight
01:50Across Delhi NCR And Haryana
01:52Fertilizers Like NPK And Ammonium Nitrate
01:56Mining Explosives, Fuel Oil And Even Loose Petrol
02:00Are Being Sold Casually Without IDs, Records Or Even Basic Checks
02:04This Isn't Just A Loop Hole
02:07It Is A Full Blown Collapse Of Oversight
02:10These Dangerous Materials Are Supposed To Be Regulated
02:15Yet They Are Traded Like Everyday Commodities
02:18What's Clear Is That The Real Threat Isn't Just The Bomb
02:22That Went Off That Evening
02:24But The System That Allows The Next One To Be Assembled With Ease
02:29Take A Look At The Special Report
02:31Investigators Probing The Red Fort Car Bombing In Delhi
02:47Claimed That White Collar Terrorists Had Managed Amassed 2,600 Kilograms Of NPK
02:53And More Than 1,000 Kilograms Of Ammonium Nitrate
02:56From The Villages Around The Alphala University
02:59In Haryana's Faridabad District
03:01In The Aftermath
03:07Probe Agencies Have Sealed The Sales Records
03:09Of Fertilizer Shops In Nu, Sona And Faridabad
03:12But While The Open Sale Of Chemical Fertilizers Is Prohibited
03:17Several Outlets Are Selling Them By Fudging Their Records
03:21Perhaps Unaware That Fertilizer Chemicals Like Ammonium Nitrate And Urea
03:26Are Deadly When Rigged With An IED
03:29India Today's Team Went Undercover To Expose Such Outlets In Delhi NCR And Haryana
03:35We Were Surprised To Find That Within Days Of The Delhi Blast
03:40Fertilizers Like Urea And NPK
03:43Fuel Oil And Explosives Used In Mining Were Easily Available
03:47These Are The Same Ingredients Used In The November 10th Red Fort Blast
03:53This Is Suresh Fertilizer Store In Haryana's Akbarpur Bharota
04:06Where We Enquired About DAP And NPK Fertilizers From Shopkeeper Ritesh
04:11Shopkeeper Ritesh Showed Us Sacks Of NPK To Win Our Trust
04:26Where We Enquired
04:26How To 작업 These Care Is
04:26That's Why
04:52We clarified to Ritesh that we did not have an Aadhaar card and that we needed to take
05:06the 20 bags of fertilizer to Delhi.
05:10Despite this, Ritesh struck a deal with us saying that he would show the sale against
05:14his own land holdings.
05:16Next, the first time we did not have to take the 1st of the
05:382nd of the 1st of the 1st of the 1st of the 1st of the 1st of the 1st of the 1st of
05:46Next, we went to Sonepath in Haryana, where we met Chirag, who runs the Shiv Agricultural
05:51Store located in the Kundli area.
05:54The pattern here was the same, chemical fertilizers being sold openly.
06:16We told Chirag very clearly that we are from Delhi and that the fertilizers have to be
06:26taken to a farmhouse there.
06:28Chirag spoke to someone on the phone and he did not ask for any address or ID proof from
06:34us.
06:35What is the name of Yuriyah and DAP?
06:42How many?
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07:3430 different,
07:35Pappo described the properties of this explosive powder and also how it is used in stone quarries.
08:05The other ingredient needed for an improvised explosive device is fuel oil.
08:31We struck a deal to buy loose petrol at a fuel pump near Basai village in New District.
08:38We just showed you how easy it is to go around shopping for all the ingredients that make up a lethal crude bomb.
08:56These unregulated markets of Delhi NCR pose a direct threat to the security of the country.
09:11For a few thousand rupees, one can easily procure urea, NPK, ammonium nitrate, mining explosives and loose petrol anytime, anywhere.
09:26With Nitin Jain and Rajesh Khatri, it's a special investigation report for India Today.
09:33Joining me now, Dr. Tara Kartha, former Director of National Security Council Secretariat.
09:44We have Yashvardhan Azad, former IPS Officer and Special Director, Intelligence Bureau.
09:51And Major General Sanjay Meston, Defence Analyst, joins us as well.
09:55Yashvardhan Azad, your reaction on this investigation.
09:59One may say that we all know how easily it is available.
10:03But can there be regulation?
10:06Well, you know, in a country like Australia, there is very strict regulation and they have been able to do it.
10:15And because ammonium nitrate has been used in many of these blasts, there was a very strict control, rigorous protocol which was issued.
10:24Whether it is the licensing, dealers, everything, transport, movement, there is a P1 form, there is a P3 form.
10:34But the question is that, like the black market, if everything is done illegally, then you can't do it.
10:41I mean, and I understand that it is very, very difficult to, you know, bring about very rigorous checks.
10:48You see, if you refer it with the case of, link it to the case of the Redford blast and the ammonium nitrate, these were being brought in small quantities and bought in small quantities.
11:01So, which was not, you know, arousing any kind of, you know, suspicion also.
11:06So, if you are doing it in this clandestine manner, I suppose it is possible.
11:13If it's a bulk purchase, if it's a bulk kind of a movement, then yes, then checks.
11:18Okay, but Major General Mastron, one may say that this is hardly any black market deal which is happening.
11:24It's being sold in open market and without any checks, without any ID proofs.
11:31Yeah, absolutely, Maria. It is being sold in the open market.
11:36But the fact of the matter is that firstly, you know, there are a large number of rules and regulations.
11:42But the problem is, are the rules and regulations being enforced?
11:47Enforcement is a problem. Everything is laid out.
11:50For example, in the armed forces, we handle huge quantity of explosives.
11:54We have very, very strict rules and regulations.
11:57And it is, you know, supervised by officers.
12:00Everything we go on ground.
12:02Now, in this case, when it is being, of course, for the civil consumption, for the farmers,
12:07there are rules and regulations laid down.
12:09But what happens is, you know, the black market and the bribe and the cops, they are susceptible to bribe.
12:16So everything is happening in the open market.
12:19And unfortunately, this is happening.
12:22And this is a wake-up call for the whole of nation.
12:25Common citizen also has a role in national security.
12:29These people are just selling it off to earn daily profits, but not realizing what, at what cost.
12:35It is at the cost of the national security.
12:37So, perhaps, firstly, India today deserves to be complimented for giving this explosive story on explosives.
12:45And this is what the whole country today is worried about, explosives.
12:49And it is so easy to be made, IEDs, etc.
12:52So, while they are being made available, law enforcement agencies have to be tightened.
12:57And perhaps there is a necessity of, you know, we have territorial army.
13:01Today, we can use a lot of armed forces people, retired people, jawans, etc.
13:06Who, with high integrity, we have to have some checks and balances.
13:10In every system, if there are no checks and balances, then this will happen.
13:14Okay.
13:15What Mr. Azad also highlighted, in the open market, it is being sold.
13:18People are looking to make daily profits.
13:21And this is exactly what is happening.
13:23Okay.
13:24Let me bring in Dr. Tara Kartha now.
13:26Dr. Tara Kartha, the larger question is that if it is, you know, if it is for the use of fertilizers
13:33and the manner in which it is being sold, urea, for example,
13:36then it is being seen that it is being used by the farmers for farming their lands.
13:42The assumption is that it will be positive, but in the hands of terrorists,
13:50it will have an implication of this nature.
13:53Because some of these fertilizers are lethal, some are not.
14:01Hey, good story, by the way.
14:03The thing is, see, this whole thing comes under one very obscure department.
14:08I checked as to see where it is, you know, what are the licenses involved.
14:12There is some department called Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
14:17Why do you have this at all?
14:20Right?
14:21Now, to be honest, let's face it, there are tons of fertilizers being moved around.
14:27I mean, and perfectly legitimate reasons.
14:29So, it is, I would say, it is almost impossible.
14:32That law was brought in in 2012, the ammonium nitrate law,
14:36just after the blasts in, by the Indian Mujahideen, Mumbai,
14:41and one more set of, you know, there was this, I think, the Pune German bakery blast or something.
14:46Thereafter, these laws came in.
14:48Okay, great thing that the law is there.
14:50The line which I think you can draw.
14:52I mean, it's not possible to get all this stuff into some kind of control.
14:58Great if it could, can't be done.
15:00You could, however, draw the line at an actual explosive which that man was selling blasters.
15:07He was selling, I mean, stuff for mining.
15:09That is where you can possibly put in more controls.
15:13But also, I think, as of now, if you've got too many laws,
15:19you need to somehow, you know, bring this under, why is it under Ministry of Commerce?
15:24I don't know.
15:25When this government came in, I remember when the BJP came in,
15:29one of the first things they did was try to reduce the number of laws.
15:32Hmm.
15:33I don't know what happened to that.
15:34I mean, we've got laws for everything, but nothing gets, like General Mason said,
15:40nothing actually gets implemented.
15:42But somewhere that line has, where you cross into actual explosives and detonators,
15:49that line has to be strengthened and not under the Ministry of Commerce.
15:53Okay.
15:54Okay.
15:55Okay.
15:56So, perhaps the other ministries should come in.
15:57Yes.
15:58Yashvardhan Azad, sir.
15:59Go ahead.
16:00You see, in the United States or European Union or UK, I mean, there are the protocols
16:05which are laid down, for example, reporting suspicious transactions and things like that.
16:12But the issue is no matter how much you do, there will be a slip through the cracks.
16:18And ultimately, all this has to come under the purview of the intelligence, you know, with community policing, the contacts.
16:28And even if you look in the Alfala case, here we are talking about controls and protocols.
16:33I mean, so much of movement, many times, so many cars being used, not one person reported.
16:42That's a failure of the society.
16:44And that's a failure of community policing, that some were quiet because of fear.
16:49Some were complicit and some were just aloof and nobody was there.
16:53There were no institutional protocols.
16:55There were no institutional oversight.
16:56So, this kind of a thing can only come by hard enforcement or intelligence or community policing.
17:06Okay.
17:07Or society wake up.
17:08Okay.
17:09So, the society has to wake up.
17:11And as Major General Mastron was also pointing out, that there is a role of the community at large.
17:18Major General Mastron, please go ahead.
17:20I'll give the last word to Dr. Tara Kartha.
17:22Yeah.
17:23Yeah.
17:24I think the issue which we have been discussed is very, very clear.
17:27This has got national security implications.
17:30Therefore, I feel perhaps the awareness for the people is very, very important.
17:35I think the role of the government of India and also the media can be very important.
17:40Like, now you have covered this story.
17:42I'm quite sure at least it will, you know, start making the people think this is happening in our country.
17:47So, media can do a lot of education on all these things like community policing as highlighted Mr. Azad also.
17:54I think these are the issues.
17:56What is community policing?
17:57Anyone in the village, he should be aware that these are the wrong things happening.
18:01These are the people moving under suspicious circumstances.
18:04Therefore, these people should have, you know, the numbers of people in higher ups, you know, police or whatever it is.
18:11And these reports should be given to them so that there is a check and balance.
18:15Everything starts from the village level, from the shop level.
18:18And there are so many people who are just moving around, observing so many things.
18:21So, I think the media can tell people that they need to observe everything.
18:25They need to report anything which they find suspicious.
18:28And if they find anyone making profits on all these lines of, you know, selling these illegal materials to illegal people.
18:35Like now this, your team has checked up for the rocks, blasting of the rocks.
18:40Imagine the detonators and, you know, gelatin sticks, everything being sold so openly.
18:46No licenses, nothing.
18:48So, therefore, what the thing is, media, education, of course, tough enforcements.
18:53We can create some organizations.
18:55I am telling once again, from the armed forces, there are so many retired people.
19:00Create them as a territorial army.
19:02Let them do something on ground to check all this.
19:04Yes, because…
19:05Because the fear has to be there.
19:06Yes.
19:07So, Dr. Talakarta, the fact is that the terrorists are coming up with new modules.
19:15And they are looking at ways of making explosives.
19:20That has to be understood.
19:22And hence, our preparations and regulation has to match up to that.
19:28Gosh, that's a really tall order, Maria.
19:31The only thing is, you know, these are, in this case, these are doctors.
19:36One assumes they know basic chemistry, right?
19:39When you cross over into RDX, then you're in a different ballgame, right?
19:45It's a…
19:46Someone has to teach you to do that.
19:47You have to try it out.
19:48You have to make sure…
19:49I mean, these guys, I'm really surprised they didn't try out some crude bomb first,
19:53which is probably why it blew up in Redford.
19:55But those are the traces you can pick up.
19:58But you cannot really…
20:00And one more thing, if I can just quickly say this, you'll find much of this activity
20:05is concentrated in known criminal areas.
20:08So, that's something, I think, in those areas, you need your intel's pick-up should be much faster.
20:15Like, no.
20:16This area, we know it's a, you know, it's a hotbed of criminal elements.
20:20Okay.
20:21There's other parts.
20:22So, that's one way we could go.
20:24All right.
20:25Dr. Tara Kartha, Major General Meston and Yashwarda Nazar, thank you for joining us.
20:29We are putting out the story on our website and also on the YouTube channel.
20:33That's all from me.
20:34I'll be seeing you tomorrow.
20:35Thanks so much for watching.
20:36We'll see you tomorrow.
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