Three persons were arrested on charge of repairing and making country-made guns meant for the use of Maoists in Koraput district.
They were nabbed during a joint combing operation by personnel of the Border Security Force and Koraput district police inside Ranjitguda forest area under Laxmipur police station limits. The combing operation was part of the intensification of anti-Maoist operation in the district to check possibility of violence by the Naxalites during their martyrs’ week which started from Dec 2.
According to Koraput Superintendent of Police (SP) Awinash Kumar, there were intelligence reports that some persons were trying to supply country made guns to Maoists of Laxmipur and Narayanpatna areas to create panic among general public living in remote areas during the martyrs’ week of Maoists. The operation inside the Ranjitguda forest was also aimed at tracking down these suppliers of arms to Maoist elements.
The three persons who were arrested were Chuda Naik of Diasili village, Ara Praska and Satya Nachika from Ghoda Tikri village. Three Single Barrel Muzzle Loaded (SBML) guns, a blower used by ironsmiths, gun powder, metal cutting blades and pellets and spare parts of guns, were seized from their possession. The seized items also included other tools used to manufacture and repair country made guns like hammers and sharpening instruments.
“During initial interrogation, it was found that the arrested persons were planning to supply some country made guns to the Maoists of the area. They were also involved in supplying arms to other miscreants apart from the Maoist elements,” the SP said.