Gujarat Police have seized 65,954 cartons of illegal firecrackers valued at ₹39.57 crore from two warehouses in Ahmedabad, three days after a deadly explosion at an alleged illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in the city's Ramol area killed at least 10 people. The crackdown signals a district-wide enforcement push against unsafe storage and handling of explosives.

The Raid and What Was Found

Officers from Changodar Police were patrolling the Matoda beat area on Sunday when they received credible intelligence about suspected illegal firecracker storage. Acting on the tip, they conducted a search operation — in the presence of independent witnesses — at a warehouse operating under the name 'Abika Trade Link', located on the road connecting Modasar crossroads and Amathapura village.

The search revealed two opposite-facing warehouses, each measuring approximately 70 by 25 metres, packed floor to ceiling with 65,954 cartons of assorted firecrackers estimated at ₹39,57,90,000. While fire extinguishers, sand buckets and fire-water pipes were found near the entrance, police said the overall fire safety arrangements were wholly inadequate given the volume of explosives on the premises. Critically, no water sprinkler system was installed.

Investigators also found cartons stacked outside the approved storage area under a sheet-roofed shed, with a thick cloth covering the front — a configuration police described as posing a 'serious risk' to human life, neighbouring residents and nearby property in the event of a fire or explosion.

Two Named, Case Registered

Two individuals have been named in the case. Amitkumar Modi, a resident of Satyagrah Society opposite Satellite Police Station in Ahmedabad, has been identified as the licence holder and the person responsible for the business. Kishan Patel, 29, of Dahegamda village in Bavla taluka, was present at the premises and is alleged to have managed the warehouse and supervised the stock.

A case has been registered under Sections 125 and 288 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Sections 9B(1)(b) and 12 of the Explosives Act, 1884, and applicable provisions of the Explosives Rules, 2008. Police said additional legal provisions may be invoked as the investigation progresses.

Context: The Ramol Blast and Its Aftermath

The seizure comes directly in the wake of the Ramol explosion on Saturday afternoon, which tore through an alleged illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Ahmedabad. The blast killed at least 10 people, including three children, after one more victim succumbed to burn injuries on Monday. Three accused have since been arrested, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the incident.

This is not an isolated failure — it reflects a broader pattern of unregulated explosive storage in urban-fringe industrial zones where enforcement has historically been sporadic. Fire and civic authorities have now launched district-wide inspections, sealing industrial units and issuing notices wherever serious fire safety violations have been detected.

Warnings to Licence Holders

Police have issued a formal advisory to all firecracker licence holders, directing them to renew licences on time, restrict storage to approved locations and quantities, maintain functioning fire safety systems in line with PESO, fire department and local authority requirements, avoid storing firecrackers in unauthorised sheds or temporary structures, maintain proper stock and transport records, and ensure only trained personnel handle explosive materials.

Authorities warned that violations could result in criminal prosecution, suspension or cancellation of licences, and confiscation of seized stock. The investigation into the warehouses is continuing to determine the legal status of the firm, verify licence validity, examine approved storage capacity and building plans, and identify any additional responsible persons.