The items, including gelatin sticks and detonators, were well packed in high quality polythene arousing suspicion that they were headed for the island nation via sea, police said.
The vehicle met with the accident at Manamadurai, about 40 km from Madurai, late on Wednesday night.
The driver, identified as Vijayakumar, was arrested, while Mohaideen, a native of Uchipuli near Ramanathapuram who had hired the vehicle, managed to escape after locking it from outside, they said.
Police had to break open the vehicle, as the driver had fainted after the accident.