NIA probes chemical factories in Vapi, Ahmedabad after ammonium nitrate seizure in Faridabad

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched an investigation into chemical factories located in Gujarat’s Vapi and Ahmedabad after a massive cache of ammonium nitrate was seized from a doctor in Haryana’s Faridabad.

According to officials, the NIA initiated the probe following the recovery of around 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient used in making explosives, along with about 5 kg of metal from two suspected terror-linked individuals, identified as Mohammad Shakeel and Ahmed Rather.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the seized chemical was allegedly supplied from companies based in Vapi and Ahmedabad, prompting the NIA to form multiple teams and conduct searches at several chemical units in these areas on Wednesday.

Sources said that the factories under scrutiny are suspected of illegally producing and distributing ammonium nitrate without proper batch numbers or documentation. The NIA suspects that the material was diverted for terror-related activities, posing a serious threat to public safety had it been successfully used for bomb-making.

The agency’s teams are currently scrutinising production records, transport documents, and supplier chains to identify those involved in the illegal procurement and supply network.