The discovery of a Maoist arms dump in Y Ramavaram mandal on Wednesday has put anti-naxalite forces including the Greyhounds, CRPF, AP Special Police and Armed Reserve Police on alert.
Old dumps have from time to time been discovered in the thick forest straddling borderlands between East Godavari district and Visakhapatnam, and the interstate border with Chattisgarh and Orissa. But the major dump discovered by the Anti-Naxal Squad on Wednesday is said to be just one year old, indicating recent Maoist activity in the Agency forests of the Godavari districts. The armoury contained a variety of munitions ranging from single barrel guns to eight rocket launchers.
According to assistant superintendent of police K. Phakeerappa admitted that there has been a “slight increase” in Maoist activity, but the police are by and large in control. There are 16 police stations in the Rampachodavaram sub-division of which eight are said to be sensitive stations, which are under the surveillance of one company of the Central Reserve Protection Force personnel comprising 96 armed men. . Another eight stations are manned by other divisions. Altogether, 1,000 armed police have been stationed in the formerly Maoist-sensitive parts of Rampachodavaram. Mr. Phakeerappa said the most sensitive police stations are Yetapaka, Chintooru, Donakarai, Mothugudem and Y. Ramavaram.
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In April this year, there was an exchange fire between Maoists and police personnel near Gurthedu. There were no causalities, but police recovered large number of arms and ammunition from the area. On the basis of information provided by surrendered militia members, Greyhounds and other police units have previously unearthed arms dumps in Y. Ramavaram, Addateegala, Pathakota and Maredumilli in the last nine months.
The major dump discovered by the Anti-Naxal Squad is said to be one year old