In a major crackdown near Palakkad town, Kerala police seized over 100 boxes of gelatin sticks and more than 20 boxes of detonators from a pick-up van. The explosives were cleverly hidden under a consignment of watermelons. The seizure happened late on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Authorities arrested the driver who was trying to flee when asked to stop. "The driver did not stop the vehicle when the police asked him to. Thereafter, the vehicle was chased down," said a police officer from Palakkad Town South police station. Upon questioning, the driver revealed he had loaded the explosives from Coimbatore and was transporting them to a quarry in Thrissur. The police were tipped off about the illegal transport and intercepted the vehicle during a routine inspection. A case under the Explosive Substances Act will be registered soon, the officer added.