Naxals Loot 5,000 Kg Explosives in Major Security Breach on Chhattisgarh-Odisha Border, Statewide Alert Issued

Raipur

In a major security breach along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, Naxalites have looted a van carrying 5,000 kilograms of explosives, packed in 200 boxes of 25 kg each, triggering a statewide high alert as security forces fear the stolen material could be used to carry out devastating attacks—potentially enough to destroy 200 SUVs or 100 armoured vehicles.

The incident took place Tuesday evening when around 20–30 armed Naxalites stormed a stone quarry in the Langalkata region of Odisha’s Sundargarh district. The explosives were en route to the Baing stone mine near the Jharkhand border when the ambush occurred. The assailants held the van driver and labourers at gunpoint, ordered them to reload the explosives into the vehicle, and abducted the driver along with the van into the jungle, where more Naxals—possibly 20 to 30—were already waiting. The explosives were offloaded deep inside the forest, after which the driver and the van were left behind.

The magnitude of the threat has rattled authorities. According to experts, such a quantity of explosives could power several large-scale IED attacks. Past incidents underline the concern:

• In April 2023, Naxalites planted a 50 kg IED in Dantewada, targeting a DRG vehicle and killing 9 jawans and a driver in a deadly blast.
• In January 2025, another 50–60 kg IED explosion in Bijapur killed 8 DRG jawans and a driver, with the shockwave scattering body parts over a 500-metre radius.
• In 2013, a bus carrying civilians and security personnel was blown up on the Sukma-Dantewada road, leaving no survivors.

The explosives in this recent heist had been loaded at a licensed storage facility owned by Tarun Kumar Agrawal. According to him, the van had just reached Langalkata around 8:30 PM when the Naxals attacked. The driver, Devnath Toppo, later revealed that the assailants identified themselves as “jungle people” or Naxals, wore green uniforms, and spoke in normal Hindi. Toppo, though shaken, was unharmed and made his way back to report the incident.

The Balgaon police have registered a case against unknown Naxalites and launched a probe. Despite being informed within hours, police and security forces have not yet found any leads even after 24 hours of search operations. Dense forest and rugged terrain are hampering efforts, though teams from the CRPF and state police remain on high alert.

The Sundargarh police and Odisha authorities, too, are on edge. Senior officials, including the DGP, DIG, and IG, have been conducting high-level meetings, while joint operations are being planned across border areas of both states.

Security agencies fear that the looted explosives could be used to target security personnel or civilians in upcoming attacks. Surveillance and search operations have intensified across the region as the authorities brace for possible retaliation from a desperate and cornered insurgent force.

This audacious daylight robbery marks one of the largest explosive loot incidents in recent years, underscoring the continued challenge of containing Naxal activity in India’s red corridor and raising urgent questions about the transportation and security of hazardous materials in vulnerable regions.