Explosives truck loot in Sundargarh: Maoist hand suspected, top Odisha Police officials rush to site

A high-level investigation has been launched into the alleged looting of an explosives-laden truck in the K. Balang area of Sundargarh district, Odisha, which has triggered a massive security alert in the region.  According to initial reports, a group of 30 to 40 unidentified individuals intercepted a truck carrying around four tonnes of explosives from a mining site near Banko to another location in Badagaon and looted the consignment on Tuesday.

The Odisha Police, suspecting the involvement of Maoists, have launched intensive combing operations in the forest region. 

Senior officials, including Northern Range IG Himanshu Lal, Western Range DIG Brijesh Rai, and Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani, are expected to visit the incident site for further assessment. 

Meanwhile, Odisha DGP YB Khurania and top police officials have convened a high-level meeting in Rourkela to review the situation and strategize further action.

Though the looted truck was later recovered, the whereabouts of the missing explosives remain unknown, raising serious concerns about the potential use of such material by extremist elements. Police are yet to trace the four tonnes of explosives, and the absence of any clear leads has intensified the probe.

Inconsistency in driver’s statements

The driver of the looted truck has been questioned, but inconsistencies in his statement have added to the mystery. Investigators are now trying to determine whether this was indeed the work of Maoists or if other criminal elements were involved. The driver's version of events has reportedly failed to align with key facts, further deepening suspicions.

Police and CRPF teams have been deployed in large numbers in and around the affected areas, and search operations are continuing in full swing. Security has also been tightened across vulnerable locations in the region.

Given the scale of the loot and the sensitive nature of the stolen material, the state police have taken the incident very seriously. If Maoist involvement is confirmed, this could mark a major escalation of insurgent activity in western Odisha, prompting a more aggressive counterinsurgency response in the days to come.