The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two alleged suppliers of explosives and detonators in West Bengal, an official said on Saturday.

Merazuddin Ali Khan of Bokaro and Mir Mohd Nuruzzaman of Birbhum were arrested from Raniganj and Calcutta during raids on Friday as part of the agency's investigation into a case registered last year, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

In June 2022, an SUV was intercepted by the Special Task Force (STF) Calcutta and it was found transporting around 81,000 electric detonators.

Ashis Keora, the driver of the vehicle, was arrested and his questioning led the police to a stash of illegally stored explosives, including 27,000 kg of ammonium nitrate, 1,625 kg of gelatine sticks and 2,325 more electric detonators, the spokesperson said.

The official said the case was initially registered at Md Bazar Police Station in Birbhum and was taken over by the NIA in September last year.

The agency made the first arrest in the case -- Rintu Sk -- in January this year.

"Nuruzzaman had supplied 27,000 kg ammonium nitrate to Rintu while Khan had supplied electric detonators and gelatine sticks to him," the spokesperson said.

Further investigation to establish the sources of pilferage of the explosives and other bomb-making materials, including detonators and gelatine sticks, are in progress, the spokesperson added.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.