Bhubaneswar, May 29 (UNI) A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) rushed to Bankua, under K. Balang police station in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, on Thursday, to investigate the looting of nearly four tonnes of explosives by Maoists.
The incident reportedly occurred in the Odisha -Jharkhand region on May 27.
According to reports, around 30 armed Maoists intercepted a truck loaded with explosives near Bankua, close to the Saranda forest. The truck, which was transporting mainly gelatin sticks intended for quarrying purposes, was hijacked at gunpoint.
The Maoists forced the driver to divert the vehicle into the Saranda forest, where they unloaded the explosives and abandoned the truck. The rebels released the driver unharmed within the forest.
Meanwhile, police forces from Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), have launched an extensive combing operation in the Saranda forest, a known Maoist stronghold, to recover the stolen explosives.
Odisha Director General of Police Y. Khurania convened a high-level meeting with senior police officials in Rourkela to strategize the combing operation and further security measures.
The Odisha-Jharkhand border has been sealed, and search operations have been intensified to trace the looted explosives.
Sources said that the CRPF Inspector General and Commandant have also arrived on-site to support the joint forces in the ongoing operation.
Police revealed that standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not followed during the transport of such a large quantity of explosives. Neither the company that dispatched the consignment nor the one meant to receive it had informed the police about the consignment.
