BHUBANESWAR, June 5: Security forces have recovered an additional 2.5 tonnes of explosives looted by Maoist insurgents from a stone quarry truck in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, police said on Monday, as a joint operation continues to retrieve the remaining cache.
The explosives were seized during a sustained search in a forested region along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, nearly a week after the Maoists ambushed the truck. According to senior officials, roughly 30% of the stolen materials had been recovered by Friday.
“Odisha Police have been working day and night on a sustained basis to ensure that the entire looted explosive consignment is recovered,” said Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania. “All due care is being taken for the safety of personnel involved in the search.”
The multi-agency operation includes personnel from Odisha’s Special Operations Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force (DVF), India Reserve Battalion (IRB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Jharkhand’s elite Jaguars unit.
Deputy Inspector General (Western Range) Brijesh Rai said that deep search metal detectors (DSMDs) were being used to trace explosives buried underground or hidden beneath forest debris.
“We still have 1.5 tonnes of explosives left to recover,” Rai said. “The Maoists have used natural craters in the forest to conceal the material. So far, we believe the explosives are spread across a four-kilometre stretch.”
The operation is being closely coordinated by top police officials from both Odisha and Jharkhand. Authorities have not reported any clashes during the recovery efforts. The Maoist insurgency, also known as the Naxalite movement, remains active in parts of eastern and central India, where rebel groups have targeted security forces and infrastructure for decades.
