BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR : Even as the Centre has set March 2026 deadline to eradicate Naxalism in the country, the alleged nexus between Maoists and mines/stone quarry owners in the state has come under the scanner of Odisha Police after seizure of over nine tonne of explosives from Kandhamal and Ganjam districts.
Police sources said about 9.4 tonne of explosives including gelatin sticks and boosters were seized from Tumudibandha in Kandhamal and Jagannathpur in Ganjam on August 15 and 16. A stone quarry owner along with two other persons were arrested in this connection.
At least 4,000 detonators were also seized from the three accused. The seized detonators were reportedly manufactured by a firm in Andhra Pradesh. Earlier on July 17, police had seized about 600 detonators of the same brand from a Maoist dump in Kandhamal district during a combing operation.
Briefing mediapersons here on Monday, ADG Operations Sanjeeb Panda said acting on a tip-off, Tumudibandha police conducted a raid while the explosives were being transported from Kandhamal to Bhawanipatna on August 15 night. The driver transporting them was arrested after he failed to produce any valid document regarding transportation of such a large consignment of explosives.
During interrogation, the driver revealed before the police that he had procured the explosives from the godown of one Hemanta Sethi (31) in Jagannathpur village under Chamakhandi police limits in Ganjam. The explosives were being transported to the stone quarry of Shakti Ranjan Dash (50) of Jaleswar Mandir Pada under Bhawanipatna police limits.
Subsequently, police raided the godown in Jagannathpur, a non-operational cowshed, and seized a huge stockpile of explosives. Hemanta was arrested after police ascertained that he did not have any licence and was selling the explosives illegally, said Panda.
Police said the driver along with Hemant and Shakti have been arrested. Hemant and Shakti were the mastermind of the illegal explosives racket. They procured the explosives by using fake documents and supplied those to unlicensed stone quarries operating at different places in Odisha.
ADG Panda said investigation is underway to find out if any mines/stone quarry owner is being threatened by the Maoists to hand over the explosives to them.