Maoist Arms Dump Recovered in Malkangiri
Bhubaneswar: Even after Odisha achieved its goal of eliminating Maoist influence from key insurgency-affected regions, security forces continue to uncover hidden stockpiles of weapons, explosives, and operational equipment concealed by Maoist cadres over the years. In the latest breakthrough, a major Maoist arms and explosives dump has been recovered from a forested area in Malkangiri district, marking the fourth such recovery from Odisha’s former Maoist strongholds within the past eight days.
The latest seizure highlights both the extensive logistical network once maintained by Maoist groups and the continued vigilance of security agencies determined to prevent any resurgence of Red Terrorism in the state.
According to police officials, the recovery was made during an intelligence-led operation carried out by the District Voluntary Force (DVF) in the Padia region of Malkangiri district. The operation was launched following specific information provided by surrendered Maoist cadres regarding hidden arms and explosives dumps in the area.
Acting on the intelligence inputs, security personnel conducted an extensive search operation in the forested areas of Silakota, Perwai, and Keskaguda villages under Padia Police Station limits. The region lies close to the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border and is adjacent to Sukma district, an area that has historically served as a corridor for Maoist movement and activity.
During the operation, security forces unearthed a concealed underground cache containing a substantial quantity of arms, ammunition, explosives, and technical equipment believed to have been stored by Maoist cadres for future operations.
Among the recovered items were three Sten carbines, one country-made pistol, one SBML firearm, one damaged 12-bore gun, five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), twenty Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) grenades, and fifty-three rounds of 12-bore ammunition.
The security team also seized a sniper telescope, batteries, solar panels, a multimeter, a welding machine, a wire cutter, and various types of electrical wires and accessories. Investigators believe these materials were intended to support the manufacture, maintenance, and deployment of explosive devices, as well as facilitate communication and field operations.
Police suspect that the recovered cache belonged to members of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the CPI (Maoist), one of the most active Maoist formations that operated across the border regions of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
Officials said the materials had been carefully buried underground and concealed to avoid detection. Preliminary investigations suggest that the weapons and explosives were intended for future attacks targeting civilians and security personnel operating in the region. The cache was safely recovered by trained personnel following established safety protocols.
Addressing a press conference at the district police headquarters, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Vinod Patil described the operation as another significant success in the ongoing effort to dismantle residual Maoist infrastructure in the district.
“The successful recovery of this major Maoist dump reflects the effectiveness of sustained intelligence-based operations and the valuable information being provided by surrendered cadres. Such recoveries help eliminate potential threats to civilians and security forces and contribute significantly to maintaining peace and stability in the region,” Patil said.
The latest recovery comes barely a week after security forces unearthed another Maoist dump from the forested areas of Kirmitti and Katuapadar under Mathili Police Station limits in Malkangiri district. Over the past eight days, security agencies have recovered four separate Maoist arms and explosives caches across Malkangiri, Kandhamal, and Rayagada districts.
Security officials believe the repeated discoveries indicate that Maoist groups had established a widespread network of hidden storage facilities across Odisha’s remote forest regions during the height of their insurgency. Many of these caches remained buried and undiscovered even after Maoist activity declined significantly in the state.
The recoveries also underscore the importance of intelligence generated through surrendered cadres and local information networks, which have become key components of Odisha’s anti-Maoist strategy.
Malkangiri achieved a historic milestone on March 31, 2026, when it was officially declared Maoist-free in accordance with the target set by the Union Home Ministry. Once regarded as one of Odisha’s most severely Maoist-affected districts, Malkangiri has witnessed a dramatic improvement in the security situation over the past several years.
Police records show that between January 2025 and March 31, 2026, two Maoists were arrested while twenty-three cadres surrendered before security agencies. Officials attribute this success to sustained security operations, enhanced intelligence gathering, developmental initiatives, and rehabilitation measures aimed at encouraging militants to abandon violence and rejoin mainstream society.
Despite the district’s Maoist-free status, authorities remain alert to the possibility of residual networks attempting to regroup. Security forces, including the Special Operations Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force (DVF), and Border Security Force (BSF), have intensified surveillance and anti-Maoist operations across vulnerable areas.
Officials emphasized that regular combing and search operations will continue in forested and border regions to locate hidden arms dumps, recover explosives, and dismantle any remaining extremist infrastructure. They said these efforts are essential to ensuring that districts once affected by Maoist violence remain secure and free from extremist influence in the years ahead.
It may be noted that prior to this, on June 13, a recovery was made in the Dhepaguda Reserve Forest under Ambadala police limits in Rayagada district. Acting on intelligence gathered from surrendered Maoist cadres, personnel of the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) conducted a search operation on June 13. After a sanitization exercise by the Bomb Disposal Squad, security forces recovered a .303 rifle, 37 rounds of live ammunition, a magazine, charger clips, cordex wire, gunpowder, explosive materials, Maoist literature, and various daily-use articles.
Earlier, on June 11, a joint SOG-DVF operation in Kandhamal district had uncovered a concealed Maoist dump near Tengeri village under Baliguda police limits. Security forces recovered an SLR rifle, two SBGL guns, a country-made firearm, a grenade, detonators, explosives, and logistical supplies.
In Malkangiri district, on June 9, security forces had recovered one of the largest Maoist caches in recent months from forest areas near the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. The seizure included firearms, IEDs, grenades, AK-47 magazines, LMG ammunition, detonators, and Maoist propaganda materials.
