Weapons, explosives recovered as Maoist arms unit busted near Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border

Police recovered an INSAS rifle, two single-shot rifles, two 12-bore rifles, 18 live cartridges, 25 kg of explosive material, two Claymore mines, and 110 detonators. PIC/GADCHIROLI POLICE

Gadchiroli Police, in coordination with Narayanpur Police in Chhattisgarh, destroyed an alleged Maoist arms-manufacturing unit and recovered a cache of weapons and explosives during a joint operation near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, officials said on Thursday.

Acting on intelligence inputs provided by surrendered Maoists, police teams launched a search operation in a dense forest area near Post Kakur in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, around 7 km from the Maharashtra border. The operation was carried out under ‘Operation Antim Prahar'.

According to police, the recovered items included one INSAS rifle, two single-shot rifles, two 12-bore rifles, 18 live cartridges, 25 kg of explosive material, two Claymore mines, 110 detonators, cortex wire, bomb-making material, seven BGL launchers, three tube launchers, and iron rods.

Police also recovered machinery allegedly used for manufacturing weapons, including two lathe machines, motors, a grinder machine, inverter, batteries, solar plates, and bundles of wire.

Officials said all recovered arms manufacturing material was destroyed on the spot.

Superintendent of Police, Gadchiroli, M Ramesh said Maoists had allegedly been using the remote forest terrain along the inter-state border to manufacture and conceal weapons and explosives.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of senior Gadchiroli Police officials, including Additional SP (Operations) Kartik Madhira, Additional SP (Administration) Gokul Raj and Additional SP, Aheri, Harshvardhan B.J. Teams from Special Operations Pranhita, BDDS Pranhita and DRG Narayanpur also participated in the operation.

Police said the recovery was part of ongoing anti-Naxal operations in the Gadchiroli region.

Hidden Maoist weapon-making setup unearthed and destroyed in Gadchiroli forest

Gadchiroli Police in Maharashtra destroyed a Maoist arms-manufacturing unit and seized equipment and materials allegedly hidden underground in a forest area of the district during a special anti-Naxal operation last week.

The operation was carried out based on confidential information received from surrendered Maoists during interrogation under Operation ‘Antim Prahar'.

According to the police, Maoists used to secretly bury weapons, explosives, and related materials in forest areas to target security personnel during various Naxal observances, election periods, and other operations. Officials said the hidden stockpile was intended for use in sabotage activities against security forces.

Police said Maoist influence in Gadchiroli district has significantly weakened and efforts are underway to trace and destroy materials concealed in forest areas.

Officials said the surrendered Maoists, who laid down arms before the Gadchiroli Police on May 16, revealed during questioning that weapons manufacturing equipment and other materials had been hidden in the forest area under the Pomke Binagunda limits.

Following the inputs, six joint teams of the Gadchiroli and Pranhita special operation squads along with two Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) teams were dispatched to the area on Thursday under the guidance of Superintendent of Police M Ramesh.