Maoist Terror Funding Case: NIA Conducts Searches In Odisha, 3 Other States

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday carried out searches at multiple locations in Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh in connection with a Maoist terror funding case, an official said.

The NIA, in coordination with Bihar STF and CRPF, conducted searches at 26 locations of the accused and suspects in the districts of Jehanabad (8), Patna rural (2), Arwal (1), Nalanda (1), Gaya (8), Nawada (1) and Aurangabad (2) in Bihar, Koderma (1) district in Jharkhand, Bhubaneshwar (1) in Odisha and Nellore (1) in Andhra Pradesh.

The case pertains to a network of terror financing being operated by CPI (Maoist) cadres and Over Ground Workers (OGW)s in the Magadh region of Bihar, the official of the premier investigation agency said.

In furtherance of their sinister motive, attempts are being made to raise funds for procurement of arms and ammunitions and recruitment of new cadres in liaison with incarcerated Naxals and OGWs in order to revive and strengthen Naxal activities in this region, the official said.

During the searches, three country-made pistols, one .315 bore rifle, 59 live rounds, several digital devices, Naxal literature, incriminating documents and 4 kg of suspected narcotics have been seized, the NIA official said, adding that further investigation in the case continues.