Raipur
In a significant breakthrough against Left Wing Extremism, a joint team of the Gariaband District Police and Dhamtari District Reserve Guard (DRG) recovered a major Maoist dump on 28 February 2026. The recovery includes over ₹46 lakh in cash, firearms, and electronic devices from the Sapsati forest and hill region under Mainpur police station limits.
The operation followed detailed interrogation of former Maoists who recently surrendered under the state government’s rehabilitation policy. These individuals provided specific information regarding a hidden dump maintained by top leaders of the Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada (DGN) division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) group.
Joint operation leads to recovery
Acting on this intelligence, the Gariaband E-30 operations team and the Dhamtari DRG launched a search mission. Security forces combed the hilly terrain of Badegobra village, eventually uncovering the concealed cache.
The items seized from the site include:
- Cash: ₹46,31,500 in Indian currency
- Firearms: One muzzle-loading gun and one Surka rifle
- Ammunition: 32 BGL cells, 45 AK-47 rounds, 11 SLR rounds, 10 INSAS rounds, 33 muzzle-loading rounds, 41 rounds of .303 ammunition, 26 rounds of 12-bore, and 23 single-shot rounds
- Explosives: 13 electronic detonators and 10 non-electronic detonators
- Electronics: One laptop and two mobile phones
Police also recovered a large quantity of Maoist literature and daily-use materials.
Setback for DGN division
Gariaband police officials stated that the recovery of this dump has pre-empted potential Maoist activities in the region. The ongoing anti-Naxal operations over the last two years, coupled with the wide promotion of the rehabilitation scheme, led to the neutralization or surrender of almost all listed Maoists active in the Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada sector by January 2026.
This latest seizure marks a decisive blow to the logistical network of the division in the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border region.
