Cyberabad police has seized a huge quantity of explosive substances from two places on the city outskirts. Five persons, including a woman, have been arrested.

The seized explosive materials include 38,700 electric detonators, 1,950 gelatin sticks and 50 kg ammonium nitrate.

On a tip-off, personnel from Central Crime Station of Cyberabad police picked up 36-year-old Mareddy Ranga Reddy, the alleged kingpin hailing from Nakrekal in neighbouring Nalgonda district on Thursday.

Based on his confession, the police party raided his house in FCI colony in Vanasthalipuram area and seized 3,000 detonators and 800 gelatin sticks. Ranga Reddy's associates Y Ananth Reddy and Lakshmamma were arrested.

The police party also raided a shed at Manikonda near Raidurg and seized 35,700 detonators, 1,150 gelatin sticks and 50 kg ammonium nitrate. Two more associates of Ranga Reddy -- Jalandhar Reddy and Veeraiah-were arrested. The police registered cases at Vanasthalipuram and Raidurg police stations under the Explosive Substances Act.

Cyberabad police said the accused had no connection with banned organizations (like CPI-Maoist) nor they had any plans to attack anyone. They had been engaged in the illegal trade of supplying explosives to realtors and owners of stone crushing units and quarries.

They had procured these explosives from two brothers, Ramakrishna Reddy and Radhakrishna Reddy, who were licensed dealers of explosive substances in Nalgonda. Police raided their offices at Bhongir but the two dealers absconded.