Maoists getting arms from overseas via Raipur

Raipur, January 17

Chhattisgarh capital Raipur has developed as safe gateway for arms supply to Maoist-infested Bastar. The arms and ammunitions are reaching to naxal heartland from China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal for which naxals are using strong urban network from north-eastern states to Kolkata to Raipur. The State police learnt about this vast supply chain when it arrested five persons – three couriers and two hardcore naxals in last two days from Raipur and Bhanupratappur respectively.

According to information, the Maoists are planning to intensify their activities during general elections and hence have ordered fresh stock of weapons. The dealing has been done by their central organising committee which contacts either their counterparts in West Bengal or terrorists in Nagaland, Manipur or other north-eastern states. 

While interrogation, the police also discovered that Maoists no more use their cadres in urban network, but rather induct local faces including transporters, traders, businessmen and unemployed youth to supply arms, explosives, medicines, clothes and other items.

The mode of transporting naxal consignments too has been changed with time as instead of four-wheelers, the people engaged in the task use two-wheelers. The consignments first reach either Raipur or Durg railway stations and then dispatched to extremists in dense forests of Aboojhmaad via Bhanupratappur, Pakhanjoor and Bande.

When contacted, the officials at Raipur railway station admitted that they do not have any system to inspect the parcels or luggage being carried by passengers. Over 70 express trains crosses Raipur railway station everyday and large number of parcels reach here through these trains. Former Divisional Railway Manager PS Mishra had once announced of installing inspection machines to check parcels but nothing happened in practical.

The police had first exposed major urban network of Maoists in 2008 when it recovered huge cache of arms and explosives and arrested about a dozen people from Raipur, Bilaspur, Kumhari and Bhilai.