Investigators investigating the Coimbatore blast case suspect that a significant amount of the explosives materials seized during the investigation were purchased online from well-known e-commerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.
A special team investigating the source of the explosive substances has reportedly written to Amazon and Flipkart asking for information regarding potassium nitrate and sulphur consignments delivered to addresses in Coimbatore and its surrounding areas over the past two years.
Police are awaiting information from the sellers regarding the method of payment, user identity credentials registered on the e-commerce website, quantity of the chemical sold, etc. after focusing on a few names or addresses that seemed suspicious.
“It appears that they procured small quantities of the explosive substances over a period of time. There is also a possibility of purchasing the chemicals from Kerala. Since Mubin and his associates were in touch with Rashid Ali and Azharuddin, arrested by the National Investigation Agency and lodged in the Thrissur prison in connection with in a terror case, we have requested the Kerala police to check whether they visited them in prison in the recent past,” a senior police officer told The Hindu newspaper on Wednesday.
He stated that Mubin and his close relatives, Azhar and Afzal, attempted to mix the chemicals based on information found on several websites and YouTube videos. They lacked any professional bomb-making experience or expertise.
“There was no trigger mechanism in the bomb that they designed in the car…it was a crude method and it could have accidentally got triggered while Mubin tried to escape on seeing the police at the check-post,” the official further said.
Director-General of Police C. Sylendra Babu stated that senior police officers have been instructed to monitor scrap dealers who deal with abandoned or condemned vehicles throughout the State.
“The car used in this case was provided by an agent who deals with such cars. We are looking at the immediate past activities of traders involved in segregating parts from abandoned cars and selling them in the open market. Their bank accounts are also being verified to check any unusual entries. An enumeration of cars found parked for a long time is also being done,” he said.
