Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough against the remnants of Maoism in Odisha, security forces on July 3, recovered a huge cache of arms, ammunition and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from a concealed Maoist dump in Koraput district. The recovery, made during an intelligence-based operation in the dense forests of Tentuligumma under Boipariguda police station, is being seen as another significant success in the ongoing efforts to dismantle the logistical and operational network of the banned CPI (Maoist) along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.
The operation was carried out around 6 am by personnel of the District Voluntary Force (DVF) following specific intelligence obtained during the interrogation of recently surrendered and arrested Maoist cadres. Police officials said the recovery prevented a large quantity of deadly weapons and explosives from being reused in future attacks against civilians and security personnel.
Intelligence from Surrendered Maoists Leads to Major Recovery
According to Koraput Superintendent of Police Rohit Verma, the operation was launched after investigators received crucial information from Maoists who had either surrendered before the police or had been arrested during recent anti-Maoist operations.
Speaking about the operation, Verma said that sustained interrogation of the former cadres revealed the locations where they had concealed weapons, explosives and other operational materials while they were active members of the outlawed organisation.
“Following the arrest of one Maoist and the surrender of another on June 25 and 26, we have been interrogating them. During questioning, they disclosed the locations where they had hidden arms, ammunition and other materials while they were active members of the outfit. Based on these inputs, our teams are recovering these dumps so that they cannot be reused in future,” the SP said.
He added that the intelligence generated from surrendered Maoists has become a crucial tool in locating hidden arms dumps that were created by Maoist cadres over several years in the inaccessible forest regions bordering Chhattisgarh.
Large quantity of arms and explosives seized
During the intensive search operation, security personnel recovered a substantial cache of firearms, ammunition and explosive materials from the concealed dump inside the Tentuligumma forest.
Police seized one country-made revolver, six country-made guns, eleven tiffin bomb IEDs of varying capacities ranging from approximately 300 grams to nearly eight kilograms, twenty-five detonators, twenty metres of codex wire, six rounds of .38 calibre live ammunition, two camera flashlights and a sizeable quantity of gunpowder.
Officials said the recovered explosives were powerful enough to inflict serious damage and were likely intended for use in attacks on security forces engaged in anti-Maoist operations or against civilians in remote areas.
According to police, the hidden cache had been carefully buried inside the forest and was meant to serve as a logistical reserve for Maoist cadres operating in the border region.
Weapons linked to Andhra-Odisha border maoist unit
Investigators believe the recovered cache belonged to cadres of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), one of the key operational formations of the CPI (Maoist).
Police suspect that before retreating from several strongholds under sustained pressure from security forces, Maoist cadres had established multiple underground storage points containing arms, ammunition and explosives for future use.
Officials said recovering these hidden dumps is critical to preventing the extremist outfit from regrouping or launching fresh attacks using previously concealed weapons.
Second major recovery in Koraput within a fortnight
Friday’s operation marks the second major recovery of a Maoist arms dump in Koraput district within the last two weeks, reflecting the intensified anti-Maoist operations being carried out in the region.
On June 22, security forces had unearthed another major cache of arms and explosives from the Badlipahad forest under the Boipariguda police station limits. During that operation, personnel recovered an INSAS rifle, ammunition, IEDs and several other incriminating materials believed to have been abandoned by Maoist cadres.
Officials believe the two recoveries indicate that Maoists had created several underground dumps across the forested border areas before gradually withdrawing from their traditional strongholds under continuous security pressure.
Police said the latest seizure further weakens the logistical capability of the banned organisation and significantly reduces the possibility of hidden explosives being reused in future. The recovery assumes greater significance as Koraput district was officially declared “Maoist-free” on March 31 this year, in line with the Union Government’s target of eliminating Maoism from the district.
Police officials said sustained intelligence-based operations, continuous combing exercises and the surrender of Maoist cadres have played a key role in restoring normalcy across the district. Between January 2025 and March 2026, one Maoist leader was arrested while another cadre surrendered before the district police, significantly reducing the operational presence of the extremist organisation in Koraput.
However, officials acknowledged that despite the sharp decline in Maoist activity, hidden arms dumps created in previous years continue to surface during search operations, necessitating sustained vigilance by security agencies.
Odisha witnesses eighth major maoist dump recovery
The Koraput operation is part of a wider offensive launched by Odisha Police and central security forces against the remaining Maoist infrastructure across the state.
Just days earlier, on June 28, another major cache of arms and explosives was recovered from the dense forests of Malkangiri district. That operation, too, was conducted based on intelligence provided by a surrendered Maoist cadre.
With Friday’s seizure, Odisha has witnessed eight major recoveries of concealed Maoist arms dumps within the last three weeks alone. Of these, three were made in Malkangiri district, two in Kandhamal district, one in Rayagada district and two in Koraput district.
Officials believe the series of recoveries demonstrates the growing effectiveness of intelligence-led operations and indicates that security forces are systematically dismantling the logistical network built by Maoists over several years.
Search operations to continue
Police said anti-Maoist operations will continue across the forested regions of southern Odisha, particularly in vulnerable border areas adjoining Chhattisgarh.
Personnel of the District Voluntary Force (DVF), Special Operations Group (SOG) and Border Security Force (BSF) have intensified combing and search operations to trace additional hidden arms dumps and prevent any attempt by Maoist cadres to revive their activities.
“Our operations will continue. The DVF, SOG and other security forces are actively carrying out anti-Maoist operations, while the BSF is maintaining vigil along the borders. We are also gathering information about their finances and arms supply network, and future operations will be planned based on those inputs,” SP Rohit Verma said.
Police said intelligence gathering will remain the cornerstone of future operations as security agencies work to identify hidden weapons, dismantle support networks and ensure that the banned outfit is unable to regain a foothold in Odisha.
Officials described the latest recovery as another major blow to the operational capability of the CPI (Maoist), saying every concealed weapons cache recovered significantly reduces the organisation’s ability to regroup or carry out violent activities. With coordinated efforts by state police, specialised anti-Maoist units and central armed forces continuing across the region, security agencies remain confident that the remaining traces of Left-Wing Extremism in Odisha can be effectively eliminated.
