Odisha explosives ‘theft’: 700 kg more seized from Maoist cache in Sundargarh, over 3.2 of 4 tonnes recovered so far

In a continuing crackdown on Maoist-linked activities, security forces have recovered another 700 kg of explosive materials from the Saranda forest near the Odisha-Jharkhand border.

The latest seizure, made during intensive combing operations on Wednesday, adds to the mounting cache of arms and explosives uncovered in the aftermath of last week’s major looting incident in Sundargarh district.

As per reports, the explosives were recovered by a joint team of the CRPF, SOG, and COBRA forces, who have been scouring forested regions in both states following credible intelligence inputs.

With this recovery, the total quantity of explosives confiscated has climbed to nearly 3.2 tonnes out of the 4 tonnes looted by Maoists on May 28.

Timeline of the Sundargarh Looting

The crisis began when armed Maoists intercepted a truck carrying licensed commercial explosives near the Banko stone quarry under K. Balang police limits.

Nearly 150 packets of gelatin sticks and other high-intensity explosives, weighing about 4 tonnes, were hijacked. The theft raised major security concerns due to the materials’ potential use in large-scale attacks.

In response, a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was set up, and the NIA was called in, viewing the incident as a national security threat. The truck owner and driver were detained, and Shravan Agrawal, the owner of the warehouse supplying the explosives, was arrested yesterday after multiple rounds of interrogation.

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Multi-State Coordination Intensifies

Amid growing concerns, Odisha Police, in coordination with Jharkhand and West Bengal authorities, have ramped up surveillance across Maoist-prone corridors.

Checkpoints have been reinforced, and special patrols are monitoring transport routes to prevent diversion or illegal movement of explosive materials.

With a significant portion of the stolen explosives now recovered, the focus has shifted to tracing the remaining cache and dismantling the network behind the planned operation. Security agencies remain on high alert, and anti-Maoist operations are expected to intensify in the coming days.