Bhubaneswar: The police in Odisha suspect a link between some mining companies and Maoists following the seizure of huge quantity of explosives from Tumudibandha area in Kandhamal district recently.

The cops have seized around 9 tonnes of explosives, including gelatin sticks, and 4,000 detonators from Tumudibandha in Kadhamal.

As per reports, the security personnel had found similar explosives from a Maoist dump in Gumma Reserve Forest in Kadhamal around a month ago.

“Our personnel have seized around 9 tonnes of explosives and 4,000 detonators from Tumudibandha area in Kandhamal. We have detained two persons for interrogation in this connection. The security personnel had earlier found 600 detonators from a Maoist dump in Kandhamal last month. The detonators seized from both places were of same brand,” said Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) in Odisha, Sanjeeb Panda, at a press conference today.

According to Panda, the police have launched an investigation to find out the source and destination of the seized explosives.

“The explosives were stored illegally in Tumudibandha area. We suspect that the explosives and detonators meant for mining activities were illegally supplied to Maoists. Our officials are looking into all these issues,” said Panda.

It is worth mentioning here that suspected Maoists from neighbouring Jharkhand had stolen huge quantity of explosives from a stone quarry in Odisha’s Sundargarh district a couple of months ago.

Subsequently, the security personnel from Odisha and Jharkhand had recovered a major portion of the stolen explosives from Saranda forest during combing operations.