Bastar Police in Chhattisgarh has busted eight major supply networks of Naxalites and arrested at least 38 people over the years, largely stopping the aid of drugs, explosives and logistics to this illegal organization, A senior official said on Sunday. The establishment of over 40 new police camps along the supply corridor of mostly Maoists during this period also helped in the task and helped in keeping a watch on the inter-state movement of Maoist couriers, he said.
According to the police, breaching the supply network is crucial in the fight against the Left Wing Extremism as it has been a major force of Maoists operating in Bastar for more than three decades. The Bastar region comprises seven districts – Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Bijapur and Sukma.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said that over the years, the police have made significant breaches in the supply network of various formations of the Dandakaranya Special Regional Committee (DKSZC) of the CPI (Maoist). DKSZC, which handles Maoist activities in Bastar division, has been instrumental in carrying out several deadly attacks on security forces.
At least eight major Maoist modules have been busted since the beginning of 2020, in which 38 people, including traders, police and local politicians, were allegedly involved in providing medicines, explosives, weapons and essentials to the Maoists, he said. has been done, he said. He said that these modules were mainly active in North and South Bastar.
When the coronavirus-induced lockdown (in 2020 and 2021) paralyzed the supply chain of the Maoists, some key modules tried to meet their requirements and came under police scrutiny, he said. The IG said the same period helped the police crack down on their “over-ground operatives”, who were instrumental in supplying medicines, electronic gadgets and equipment to the Maoists.
According to police records, between March and May 2020, a major Maoist supply network was busted with the arrest of 14 people, including three construction contractors and two traders, from different places in the state. This module was actively working to provide shoes, clothes, walkie-talkie sets and other essential items to the Maoists in Kanker district of North Bastar.
As per the data, in June 2020, Sukma district police arrested four Maoist couriers from two places and recovered a huge quantity of ammunition from them. Later, two policemen posted in Sukma in the same case were also arrested for their alleged involvement in supply of ammunition to the Maoists. According to police data, two more people, including a local BJP leader, were also arrested in Dantewada in June 2020 for allegedly playing a key role in providing several items to the Maoists.
In July this year, another crucial module of supply to the Maoists was busted. Police records said nine people, including a 51-year-old man from West Bengal, were arrested and the material used in explosives was seized from them. The Maoists generally try to exploit the gray areas along the interstate borders to conduct their activities as well as their supply networks. But across these borders the police and paramilitary security forces have jointly cracked down on several supply teams of Maoists, pushing them on the backfoot, the IG said.
He said that the Chhattisgarh Police, along with their Telangana counterparts, worked during and after the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate such activities. Over 40 new police camps were opened in the last three years, mostly along the Maoist supply corridor. This also helped the police to effectively shut down their supply chain, the official said.
He said that we have achieved success in this direction and hope to do better in the near future.
read all latest india news Here