Thiruvananthapuram/Kollam: Kerala Police chief Loknatha Behera has said that the police have got some leads on the Pakistan-made bullets found abandoned at Kulathupuzha in Kollam district and this information has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Crime Branch ADGP Tomin Thachankary also said that crucial evidence has been obtained and those, who abandoned the 14 bullets, would be nabbed soon.

The state police have sought the technical help of the forensic laboratory in Hyderabad.

A three-member team from the NIA arrived at Kulathupuzha and examined the bullets on Sunday. Another team led by the head of Anti-Terrorist squad (ATS), DIG Anup Kuruvilla John, has also begun a probe into the incident. The military intelligence wing also examined the bullets.

ADGP Thachankary and DIG Anup Kuruvilla John conducted checks at the area, from where the bullets were found. Statements of lorry workers Joshy and Ajish, who first spotted the bullets, and nearby residents were also taken.

Thiruvananthapuram range DIG Sanjay Kumar Gurudin, intelligence DySP Johnson Charles, and military intelligence Major Mukesh too examined the bullets on Sunday morning.

Bullets abandoned by terrorists?

The main focus of the probe is to ascertain whether the bullets were abandoned by terrorists after their training. Checks are also being conducted to find out if any guns have also been abandoned. The probe would also check if the soldiers, who were deployed at the border, abandoned the bullets they had amassed.

The 14 bullets were found abandoned near the Muppathadi bridge along the Kulathupuzha-Madathara road. Twelve of the bullets had the inscription 'POF' (Pakistan Ordnance Factories), and these were manufactured during the 1980-82 period. But the remaining two did not have any such details.

The preliminary investigation had also revealed that these bullets are normally used in the long-range rifles used by the army and police officers.