Maoist informer held in explosives loot case

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Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: Police on Sunday arrested a Maoist informer in connection with the audacious May 27 loot of 5,000 kg of industrial explosives by armed rebels from a stone quarry in Sundargarh district, bordering Jharkhand.
Police identified the accused as George Munda alias Kulu Munda (43), a resident of Banko village near the stone quarry.
Police said Munda had alerted the Maoists about the truck carrying explosives. The arrest came a day after a CRPF officer was killed following an IED blast triggered by the rebels in a forest near Banko during an anti-Maoist operation launched in the wake of the explosives loot.
"Munda is the main conspirator.
He passed on information to Maoists in neighbouring Jharkhand about the movement of gelatin sticks in a truck to the quarry. Munda also joined the Maoists in their operation in robbing the stone-blasting materials on May 27," said DIG (western range), Bijesh Kumar Rai.
Police said Anmol, a Jharkhand-based Maoist leader, and his team pulled off the heist based on information provided by Munda. The armed Maoists had hijacked the truckload of explosives enroute the quarry, adjoining the Saranda forests in Jharkhand.
SP (Rourkela) Nitesh Wadhwani said Munda planned the loot in Jan-Feb. Asked about how long the accused was involved with the Maoists, the SP said, "We are thoroughly verifying his antecedents and his link with Maoists. Prima facie investigation revealed he is a militia member and was acting as a helping hand for Maoists. We are also verifying the potential involvement of others from the locality."
A villager's arrest has raised concerns in Sundargarh, which was declared Maoist-free status by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in April 2024.
Police sources said Munda had been opposing the Banko stone quarry's operations for quite some time. He allegedly connived with Maoists in the neighbouring state to disrupt the quarry operations.
"Maoists who executed the loot were being persuaded by Munda since Jan. Munda's motive was to take revenge against the stone quarry operator," a police officer said.
Earlier, Munda earned his living through unauthorised stone extraction.
His work stopped when the govt granted the quarry lease to a businessman. "Subsequently, Munda approached Anmol in Jharkhand seeking assistance for retribution," the officer said.
Munda suggested to Anmol they could loot explosives for use against security personnel, a proposal that Anmol agreed to. Police found that Munda and Anmol met several times before implementing their plan.
"We have so far recovered 3,811.30 kg of the looted explosives near the inter-state border through a sustained joint operation with Jharkhand police and CRPF," Wadhwani said.

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