In a major breakthrough, a police team on Friday arrested seven people, including a Mining engineer alongwith a huge consignment of explosives weighing around 1,750 kg in insurgency-hit Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.
Initial investigation suggests that the major haul of explosives seized from two separate places in the district was to be delivered to the cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) organization, suspect police. The persons acting as an urban supply chain for insurgents were arrested in the district along with huge haul of explosives from two separate places falling under limits of Darbha and Nagarnar police station, said Bastar Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajay Yadav. Around 1,750 kg explosives, including 1000 kg Ammonium Nitrate and 750 kg gelatine which was to be dispatched to rebels were seized from two separate places in the district. In this connection, police have nabbed seven persons including a Mining Engineer. The estimated market value of the seized explosive could be around Rs 3.20 lakh,” he said.
Yadav further said that three vehicles used in illegal transportation of explosives to the district from Odisha and eight vehicle number plates with fake registration numbers were also seized from the arrested persons.
The arrested Kamalkant Swain (Mining Engineer), Gauri Shankar Mohanty, Anil Kumar Jena, Bhushan Kumar Gonda, Rajendra, Uttam Swain and Sujeet Panhi are all hailing from Odisha, he said.
The SP further said that following a tip-off that a Mining Engineer (from Odisha) Kamalkant was in contact with Maoist military chief of Darbha division named Deva for sometime and indulged in supply of explosives to ultras, police personnel laid a trap to nab the Mining Engineer.
With the help of an informer, police succeeded in arresting seven persons along with huge quantity of Ammonium Nitrate and gelatin.
A police team intercepted a SUV and a car near Dispur village under Darbha police station limits and recovered 30 bags of gelatin weighing around 750 kg from vehicles, said Yadav adding that based on information received from arrested persons, a huge quantity of Ammonium Nitrate were seized from a hut in forests between Machkot and Tiriya villages falling under limits of Nagarnar police station. Preliminary investigation indicated that illegally transported and stocked explosives were meant for Naxals, Yadav said.
Police have registered a case in this connection and started investigation to find out the role of arrested persons in supply chain, involvement of other people from urban areas, source of procurement and others, he said.