In a major catch, a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and Koraput police lay its hands on a huge haul of explosives from a remote forest pocket of Pindamal in Narayanpatna block of the district on Wednesday.
The over 200 kg cache of explosives, including those reported to be China-made ones, is one of the biggest recoveries of explosives and ammunition in the recent times.
The forces recovered the explosives from Pindamal forests, 11 km from Padapadar village under Naryanpatna police limits. The catch included 117 gelatin sticks each weighing 125 grams, 22 ore gels each weighing 6.25 kg, six gel explosives each weighing 2.09 kg, 10 kg anti-vehicle mine, three hand grenades, 10 kg claymore mines, 5 kg IED in a steel container, 20 kg of iron scraps and two rolls of flexible wires.
The iron scraps were meant to be used as splinters. The huge dump was detected following an intensive search after the forces started a six-hour trek in the wee hours and followed the intel inputs. Sources said the CPI(Maoist)’s Srikakulam Koraput Divisional Committee may have hidden those explosives in a cave.
What caught the attention of the security forces was the three grenades which are suspected to be China- made since the Indian Ordnance Factory does not manufacture such kits, sources said. Not long ago, the Intelligence Bureau had come out with a report about China extending support to the Maoist groups. Sources said there are two routes through which the Maoists could procure the Chinese explosives and arms.
“We have evidence that there is a route from China through Nepal and Bihar which works as a supply line for the Maoists. The manufacturing units are reported to be in Chinese territory,” police sources added.
Another link could be the parleys that the Central Committee of the CPI(Maoist) had held with certain tribal groups of North-Eastern regions which are armed by the Chinese. These groups, flush with sophisticated arms and ammunition from markets in neighbouring countries, sell the surplus and sometimes, obsolete ones.
However, a senior officer in Odisha Police said the three grenades were low in technology which is why the colloquial use of “China make” came in. “Those are not imported or smuggled from China,” the officer added.