Malkangiri: In a significant anti-Maoist operation, the District Voluntary Force (DVF) of Malkangiri Police recovered a large cache of weapons, explosives, communication equipment and electronic devices from a Maoist hideout near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border on Sunday.
The operation was launched based on intelligence gathered from surrendered Maoists. Security personnel conducted an intensive search in the forested areas of Gunthabada and Kadamguda under Kalimela police station limits, adjoining the Motugudem and Donkarai regions of Andhra Pradesh’s ASR district. The hidden Maoist dump was discovered at around 6:30 a.m.
Among the items seized were two Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), two country-made pistols, a US-made pistol without a magazine, a .303 rifle barrel, two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) weighing 2 kg and 5 kg, a claymore mine, four BGL cells, five live cartridges and seven walkie-talkies.
Police also recovered several electronic and logistical items, including 45 pen drives, a hard disk, a keyboard, batteries, chargers, a medicine kit and materials suspected to have been used in the manufacture of explosive devices.
Officials believe the weapons and equipment belonged to cadres of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the Maoists and were intended for use against both civilians and security forces.
According to police, Malkangiri was declared Maoist-free by March 31, 2026, in line with the target set by the Union Home Minister. Between January 2025 and March 2026, two Maoists were arrested and 23 others surrendered in the district.
The latest seizure marks the third major recovery of Maoist arms and explosives in Malkangiri this month. On June 9, security forces recovered an INSAS LMG, INSAS rifles, IEDs, grenades and detonators from forests under Mathili police station limits. Another cache containing sten carbines, a pistol, IEDs, UBGL grenades and other Maoist materials was seized from the Podia area on June 15.
Police officials said search and combing operations in the border region will continue to eliminate any remaining Maoist presence and prevent future threats to public safety.
