Sending a strong signal on stringent action against erring violators, the Virudhunagar district police and other officials intensified their surveillance mechanism and seized fireworks and other goods valued at over ₹25 lakh from illegal godowns and sealed the units.Eight persons, including three women, were arrested under various BNS sections for storing fuse and other chemicals in their dwellings illegally by the special team of police from Watrap led by SI of Police Vetri Murugan on Saturday.Police said that in Deivanai Nagar in Sivakasi, following a specific input, the team raided a small dwelling, which was converted as a godown and crackers were stashed in 287 carton boxes, which were valued at ₹14 lakh. Similarly, a fireworks unit, which was sealed by the authorities for violations in Vembakottai near Akkaraipettai in the district, was opened without any authorisation and was found functioning.After inquiries, the police arrested Mahendran and seized ₹11 lakh worth fireworks from the spot.The police gave the names of the arrested persons as Packialakshmi (56), Subbulakshmi (54), Selvaraj (66), Mariswaran (50), Muthuraj (37), Anand (43), Karthikeyan (35) and Ponkumar (36) in Thayilpatti and other places in the district.With the Deepavali festival in November, the fireworks units would be working in full strength to complete production and to despatch the finished goods to various destinations across the country. Hence, illegal units too would be vying with one another to book profits neglecting safety aspects, an officer said. Published - August 01, 2026 10:05 pm IST