Odisha Police intensified efforts to trace and recover weapons looted by Maoists. The Special Intelligence Wing (SIW) writing to the Directors General of Police (DGPs) of seven states as well as central security agencies seeked assistance in locating the missing firearms.

The move comes after Odisha was declared free of Maoist activity and several cadres returned to the mainstream through the surrender and rehabilitation process. 

While surrendered Maoists had deposited the weapons in their possession at the time of laying down arms, authorities are now focusing on recovering firearms allegedly looted during past attacks on security establishments.

Letters were sent to the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police chiefs of multiple states to trace the missing weapons.

420 Weapons Traced, 230 Yet To Be Recovered

According to official records, Maoists had allegedly looted 650 weapons, including sophisticated firearms, from various locations in Odisha over the years. So far, 420 of those weapons have been traced, while efforts are underway to locate the remaining 230.

The looted arsenal includes rifles, Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), AK-47 assault rifles and 9 mm Sten guns. Several of the weapons were allegedly taken during attacks in Rayagada, Nayagarh and CRPF camps.

Investigators believe some of the missing firearms may be located in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Telangana, West Bengal and Maharashtra. Authorities are also attempting to determine whether surrendered Maoists from neighbouring states used weapons looted from Odisha or from their home states.

Hidden Caches Under Investigation

Former Odisha Police officer Amaresh Panda said Maoist activities in Odisha began during the 1990s and the state was often used as a safe operating zone by cadres active in neighbouring regions.

“Over more than three decades, Maoists looted weapons from several districts of Odisha. Many of these arms were carefully concealed. Although a large number of cadres have surrendered, some have not returned to the mainstream. Recovering these weapons is a natural step in weakening any remaining Maoist infrastructure,” Panda said.

He added that information about hidden weapon caches was generally known only to select cadre-level members and senior leaders.

Also Read: 27 Maoists carrying Rs 33 Lakh reward surrender in Jharkhand

Officials are also monitoring surrendered Maoists as part of ongoing security and rehabilitation measures while investigations continue into the location and origin of the remaining weapons.