Post Maoist Cleanup In Gadchiroli, Security Forces Bust Hidden Arms Unit

Nagpur: After eliminating Maoists from Gadchiroli and their once-impregnable fortress in Abhujmad, Gadchiroli Police and CRPF personnel continued their crackdown with a major operation on Saturday, destroying a Maoist arms manufacturing unit and a large cache of concealed weapon-making material in the dense forests along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.The operation was carried out by six joint teams from Gadchiroli and Pranhita divisions, along with a Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and CRPF personnel.Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a joint team of Gadchiroli Police and CRPF launched a special search operation in the Balbeda forest region. Conducted under the guidance of superintendent of police M Ramesh, the operation led to the recovery and immediate destruction of significant Maoist equipment and raw materials used for fabricating weapons and explosives.The seized items included a heavy lathe machine weighing 5 to 6 tonnes, 150 Claymore and BGL pipes, 220 pieces of 12-bore pipes, 20 rifle rod metal strips, and other Maoist literature and materials. All items were destroyed on-site to prevent any possible reuse.Police officials said Maoists had been using the remote and inaccessible forest terrain along the inter-state border to set up clandestine arms manufacturing units.

The concealed materials were reportedly intended for use during Naxal observance weeks, elections, and planned attacks on security forces.The operation follows similar actions carried out on May 23 and May 27, underlining sustained pressure on Maoist networks in the region.The search was supervised by additional SP (Operations) Kartik Madhira, additional SP (Administration) Gokul Raj G., and deputy SP (Operations) Vishal Nagargoje.Officials said repeated recoveries and destruction of arms-making infrastructure have significantly weakened Maoist activities, with the district steadily moving towards complete eradication of leftover Maoist influence.