Security forces recover Maoist arms and explosives cache during joint anti-Naxal operation in Nuapada district
Bhubaneswar: In a significant success for security forces engaged in anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, a joint team of the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on July 7th recovered a large cache of arms, explosives, and Maoist logistical materials from a concealed dump in the Patadhara Reserve Forest, under Boden police limits in Nuapada district.
The recovery, made during an intelligence-based combing operation near Barapat Hill, is viewed as a significant blow to the remaining Maoist infrastructure operating along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. Officials stated that the seizure reflects the increasing effectiveness of sustained intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling the logistical network of Maoism.
According to police, the operation was launched after security agencies received credible intelligence regarding the presence of a concealed Maoist dump inside the dense forest area.
Acting on the information, personnel of the Nuapada District Voluntary Force, assisted by the Bomb Disposal Squad of the CRPF’s 19th Battalion, launched a coordinated search operation. Before entering the suspected location, the area was sanitised following standard operating procedures to rule out the presence of active explosives or booby traps.
During the intensive search, the team unearthed an old Maoist dump allegedly used by extremists to store arms, ammunition, explosives and operational supplies.
Security personnel recovered a substantial quantity of weapons, explosives and equipment believed to have been stockpiled for Maoist operations. The seized items included two country-made firearms, one country-made carbine with a magazine, 29 rounds of 7.62×39 mm AK-47 ammunition, 54 rounds of 7.62×51 mm Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) ammunition, two tiffin Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), eight gelatin sticks, around 1.5 kilograms of gunpowder, a detonator, batteries, a solar panel, a multi-meter, electrical wires, codex wire, wire cutters, testing equipment, Maoist uniforms, haversacks, shoes, Maoist literature, cooking utensils, a medicine kit and several other materials used for manufacturing and operating explosive devices. The entire cache was seized, and security teams conducted extensive searches in the surrounding forest area to ensure no additional arms or explosives remained hidden.
Officials said the recovery is expected to significantly weaken the operational capabilities of Maoist groups attempting to retain a logistical presence in the region.
Speaking to reporters, Nuapada Superintendent of Police Amritpal Singh said the operation was carried out on the basis of specific intelligence inputs regarding the existence of a Maoist dump in the Barapat Hill area.
“We had received reliable information about a Naxalite dump in the Patadhara Reserve Forest near Barapat Hill. Based on the input, the District Voluntary Force and the Bomb Disposal Team of the CRPF’s 19th Battalion were deployed. After verifying the information, the area was sanitised according to standard operating procedures, following which we recovered an old Maoist dump containing arms, ammunition, explosives and other operational materials,” the SP said. He said the police would continue intelligence-driven operations to ensure that Nuapada remains free from Maoist influence.
“We will remain vigilant at all times. This operation is part of our continued efforts to ensure that Nuapada remains Naxal-free. We will continue to identify and destroy any remaining Maoist dumps through intelligence-based operations so that no one is harmed and the district remains safe and secure,” Singh added.
Police confirmed that the operation concluded successfully without any casualties or injuries to the security personnel involved.
Officials said search, area domination and sanitisation operations would continue across the adjoining forest areas along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border to prevent any resurgence of Left Wing Extremist activities and to ensure lasting peace, security and development in the region.
The Nuapada operation forms part of a broader offensive launched by Odisha Police and central security forces to dismantle the remaining Maoist infrastructure across the state.
Just days earlier, on July 3, another major cache of arms and explosives was recovered from the dense forests of the Koraput district during an operation conducted on the basis of intelligence provided by a surrendered Maoist cadre.
Officials said the latest recovery demonstrates the continued success of coordinated intelligence-based operations and area domination exercises aimed at eliminating hidden arms dumps and logistical support systems built by Maoist groups over several years.
With Tuesday’s operation in Nuapada, Odisha has now witnessed the ninth major recovery of concealed Maoist arms and explosive dumps within a month, underscoring the sustained pressure being exerted on extremist networks.
According to police data, three such recoveries have been made in Malkangiri district, two in Kandhamal, two in Koraput, one in Rayagada and the latest in Nuapada.
Security officials believe the series of successful recoveries reflects the increasing effectiveness of intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination and continuous anti-insurgency operations. They said the recoveries indicate that security forces are systematically dismantling the logistical backbone that once enabled Maoist groups to sustain their operations across Odisha’s forested regions.
Officials reiterated that anti-Maoist operations would continue with full intensity across vulnerable areas bordering Chhattisgarh. Through sustained intelligence gathering, regular area domination exercises and close coordination between Odisha Police, the CRPF and other security agencies, authorities aim to ensure that no residual Maoist infrastructure survives and that peace, security and development continue to strengthen across the region.
