2.5 Tonnes of Maoist-Looted Explosives Recovered in Odisha-Jharkhand Border Operation
Tonnes of explosives looted by Maoists in Odisha and Jharkhand has been found by CRPF. Image courtesy: AI-generated picture via DALL-E
In a major breakthrough, security forces have recovered 2.5 tonnes of explosive gelatin sticks looted by Maoists from a truck in Odisha’s Sundargarh district on May 27, officials confirmed on Monday (June 2).
The explosives were discovered during an intensive joint search operation conducted by the Odisha Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Jharkhand Jaguars in forested areas near the Odisha-Jharkhand border.
What happened on May 27 and how did the explosives go missing?
On May 27, an armed group of 25–30 Maoists intercepted and looted a truck carrying four tonnes of explosive gelatin sticks en route to a stone quarry at Banko, located within the Saranda forests, near the border of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district. The truck was carrying commercially licensed explosives meant for mining operations, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The incident raised alarm among law enforcement agencies due to the potential misuse of such a large quantity of explosives for sabotage or attacks on security forces and infrastructure.
How much has been recovered and where?
Security forces recovered 2.5 tonnes of the stolen explosives during a combing operation near Koida, in the Sundargarh district of Odisha. The Maoists had buried the explosives underground to evade detection through aerial and ground surveillance, said Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Brijesh Rai.
A senior police official added that the success was due to actionable intelligence and systematic search efforts. 1.5 tonnes of explosives are still unaccounted for, and the search operation continues.
What is being done to investigate the incident?
The Odisha Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting a parallel investigation. An NIA team has already visited the site of the heist for a preliminary assessment.
Odisha’s Director General of Police YB Khurania camped in Rourkela for two days following the incident and held high-level meetings to supervise recovery efforts. He also instructed police to intensify security in sensitive and vulnerable zones, particularly in forested and border areas.
Officials confirmed that forensic analysis will be conducted on the recovered explosives to determine their composition and point of origin.
With a portion of the explosives still missing, the recovery effort remains ongoing. Security agencies continue to treat the situation as a high-priority threat, given the possibility of the remaining explosives being used in Maoist operations across Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.
