A joint operation by the Odisha police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and specialised Jharkhand Jaguars unit has led to successful seizure of 2.5 of the four tonnes of explosives that were looted by some Maoists on May 27, police said.
Some explosive gelatin sticks were seized from a Maoist hideout in a forest near Koida in Sundargarh district on the Odisha-Jharkhand border during a search operation Friday, Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Brijesh Rai said.
“To conceal explosives from aerial and ground surveillance, the Maoists buried the explosives underground. An intense search and intelligence inputs helped us to seize the explosives. Efforts are on to recover the remaining explosives,” said a senior police official.
Police will examine the seized materials to determine its composition and place of origin from where the consignment was sent, said police sources.
An armed group of 25-30 “Maoists” looted four tonnes of explosive gelatin sticks from an explosive-laden truck was on its way to a stone quarry at Banko on May 27. The quarry is inside the Saranda forests — an area bordering Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district.
A search operation was launched soon to track down the explosives.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Police instituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the probe while the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which also launched a parallel probe into the incident, sent a team to the spot of the May 27 loot.
Odisha Director General of Police YB Khurania camped in Rourkela for two days and held multiple meetings with senior police officers to monitor operations to recover the looted explosives. The DGP had also directed police to step up security measures in vulnerable areas.
