Kerala Police launch probe; collect CCTV visuals from Kodagu bus stands

Kushalnagar: In a dramatic bust at the Koottupuzha Excise Check Post in Kerala, officials seized 150 rounds of live ammunition used in country guns from a passenger bus travelling on the Thalassery-Kodagu-Mysuru Highway.

During routine inspections around 3.45 pm on March 27, Excise officials discovered the ammunition on the Kannur-registered bus ‘Lakshmi,’ which was en route from Virajpet in Kodagu district to Thalassery via Gonikoppa and Makutta, carrying 43 passengers, including the driver and conductor.

While sweeping through the vehicle, officers found a travel bag tucked under a seat.

“There were three boxes of ammunition in the bag covered in cloth,” said an Excise official at the Koottupuzha check post.  However, none of the passengers claimed ownership of the bag.

Excise officials immediately alerted the Iritty Police, who escorted the bus and its passengers to the station, located 11 km away. Following over two hours of questioning, Police detained two men, suspecting the ammunition belonged to one of them.

A dog squad was brought in to assist with the investigation. The sniffer dog identified one passenger, prompting the Police to detain two suspects — one from Ulikkal and the other from Virajpet. The remaining passengers were allowed to leave after providing their addresses and phone numbers.

Efforts to review CCTV footage from the Virajpet bus stand immediately after the incident proved futile. A follow-up investigation was conducted in Virajpet on Friday. However, the bus’ internal surveillance system provided no clues, as its cameras had been inactive since Mar. 13.

Meanwhile, a Kerala Police team arrived in Kodagu to investigate the seizure. Led by Dy.SP Dhananjay Babu of Irrity Police Station, the team examined CCTV footage at the Virajpet bus stand, seeking evidence.

They contacted Kodagu SP K. Ramarajan and sought the support of the Virajpet Police to review CCTV footage from shops near the bus stand and inspect licensed weapon shops in Kodagu. The seized bullets are typically used for hunting.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Kannur Superintendent of Police Anuj Paliwal said, the investigation is progressing with teams actively working on the case. “We are tracking phone records, location details and CCTV visuals from all the bus stops on the route from Kodagu to Thalassery. We are currently questioning one suspect,” he said.

In Kerala, there are no shops that sell ammunition, suggesting the rounds may have been smuggled from Kodagu, where licenced arms and ammunition shops operate.