Huge amounts of explosives seized in Malkangiri as Maoists observe Martyrs’ Week

OST Bureau
Malkangiri, July 29 :

Malkangiri police Monday seized huge quantities of explosives from a crusher unit of a private road construction company located near MV-7 village. The crusher unit’s licence has expired over four months ago.

On a tip-off a police team led by IIC of Malkangiri police station, Fram Kiro raided the crusher unit near MV-7 village and seized huge quantity of gelatine, nitrogen, booster, detonator and other explosive materials.

Though the licence of the crusher company had expired about four months ago, the huge stock of illegal explosive materials stored in the unit is being probed, said Kiro.
A few months ago, huge quantities of explosives were seized from another construction company and its top officials were arrested. It was alleged that the explosives kept in the unit were meant to be supplied to the Maoists.

Seizure of illegal explosives is significant not only because the district has been reeling under Maoists menace for the past several years but also because of its timing. The Maoists are observing Martyrs’ week since Sunday.

Malkangiri remains cut off from the rest of the state as road communication have been disrupted in the last two days.
The ultras have hoisted flags, festoons protesting the police operation against them at several places in the district.

Even shops and business establishments in Kalimela, Motu, Chitrakonda and others areas of the district have downed their shutters fearing Maoists attack during the ‘Martyrs’ week ‘, local sources said.