Chhattisgarh: Major blow to Maoists as police seize huge cache of arms, explosives

Raipur, Jul 12 (IANS) In an ongoing anti-Maoist operations in South Bastar’s Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, security forces have recovered a large cache of weapons, explosives, cash, and gold from the dense forests and hilly terrain of Todma village under Barsur Police Station limits.

Acting on precise intelligence provided by recently surrendered Maoists, the operation led to the seizure of items valued at around Rs 18 lakh, including a 116-gram gold biscuit worth Rs 16 lakh and Rs 2 lakh in cash.

The recovery has been hailed as a major success for the Dantewada Police and joint security forces.

The coordinated search was conducted under the guidance of Badri Narayan Meena, Inspector General of Bastar range, led the search with senior officials, including Rakesh Chaudhary and Superintendent of Police of Dantewada Gaurav Rai.

The team recovered arsenal which included one INSAS rifle with 16 magazines, four AK-47 magazines with 68 rounds, 23 SLR magazines with 34 rounds, five 12-bore guns with seven rounds, three BGL launchers with one shell, along with two carbine magazines and various other ammunition such as .303 rounds, chargers, and 8mm cartridges.

Security forces also seized a revolver, an air gun, ten damaged muzzle-loading guns, multiple bombs including 122 arrow bombs, six tiffin bombs, four pipe bombs, country-made grenades and mortars, 20 detonators, a bundle of cordex wire, 14 pressure cookers, and a steel container of gelatin.

Other items recovered included uniform fabric, medicines, leaflets, and daily-use materials believed to be used by Maoist operatives.

The hidden caches, buried at multiple locations in the forest, were intended to support violent activities and target security personnel.

Officials described the operation as a clear demonstration of the success of the surrender and rehabilitation policy.

The actionable intelligence came from Maoists who have renounced violence and joined the mainstream, underscoring a growing shift away from Maoist ideology toward peace and development in the region.

The timely recovery has also thwarted potential major attacks on security forces.

The Dantewada Police have appealed to remaining Maoists to shun the path of violence, surrender, and reintegrate with their families into mainstream society. They have also urged local citizens and villagers to support efforts in restoring peace and fostering development in the area.

–IANS

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