ROURKELA: The ongoing search operation by security forces along Odisha- Jharkhand border on Monday led to the recovery of a fresh stockpile of around 2.5 tonne of explosives looted by the members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) outfit on May 27.
Most of the industrial explosive packets in form of gelatine sticks were found stacked around the paths used by Maoists in the hilly and treacherous terrains of the dense Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
Police sources informed that a few explosive packets were found lying in the forest in Sundargarh side of the border under the jurisdiction of Rourkela police district (RPD). Most of the packets were kept hidden in Saranda forest near Odisha border.
It appeared that Maoists did not get enough time to hide the explosive packets deep inside the Saranda forest as security forces launched the search operation immediately after the loot incident.
Personnel of the Special Operations Group and District Voluntary Force besides the CRPF, Jharkhand Jaguar and CoBRA are participating in the combing operation which is underway since the hijacking and loot of the truck carrying around four tonne of explosives from Banko forest in K Balang area on May 27 morning.
Cops probing delivery of explosives
Without specifying the spots of recovery, Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani said another cache of 2.5 tonne of the looted explosives were found during the search operation.
Earlier on May 30, security forces had recovered a substantial quantity of the looted explosives following an exchange of fire with the Maoists in Saranda’s Tirilposh within Jareikela police limits in Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, two mini-trucks laden with similar explosive packets originating from the same warehouse in Bargaon block of Sundargarh were seized by police from near Balughat at Rourkela on Sunday.
On May 27, three trucks had come out from the Bargaon explosives storage point, police claimed. After the loot of one of the trucks, warehouse owner Shraban Agarwal lied to police about delivery of the other two explosives-laden vehicles.
Police said it is likely that the two trucks were kept hidden with the intention to sell the explosives later for higher price. DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Rai said detailed investigation is being carried out by a SIT to verify the dates of release and delivery of explosives from the now sealed warehouse.