Hyderabad police said they arrested a 26-year-old shop owner and seized 480 bobbins of synthetic glass-coated kite string worth about ₹750,000.
The man was detained in Kalapathar on October 6 as he arrived to collect a shipment of 10 cartons, The Hindu reported. The Charminar Zone Task Force and local police carried out the operation. Officers also seized two mobile phones.
Police identified the accused as Abhishek Singh, a resident of Puranapul, and said he ran a kite shop in Mangalhat. According to police, Singh ordered the consignment from a Jaipur resident named Mohsin. A private transport service delivered it to Hyderabad.
Police alleged that Singh planned to resell the banned string to retailers and customers ahead of the Sankranti festival. They said the glass-coated synthetic nylon thread can endanger people, birds and animals. The investigation is continuing.