In a significant move aimed at dismantling arms supply chains to left-wing extremists, the Telangana Police have launched a major interstate investigation. The force has decided to circulate the serial numbers of 99 factory-made weapons recently seized from Maoists to police across India, paramilitary units, and central agencies.
The Surrender and the Significant Haul
This action follows the recent surrender of Barse Deva, a battalion commander of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), along with 19 of his associates. Deva, known to be a close aide of former Maoist general secretary Muppala Lakshmana Rao (alias Ganapathi), turned over a substantial arsenal upon laying down arms.
The seized weapons include a variety of sophisticated firearms:
- An Israel-made Tavor CQB (Close Quarters Battle) assault rifle.
- US-made Colt rifles.
- Light Machine Guns (LMGs).
- AK-47 assault rifles.
- INSAS rifles.
- Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs).
In addition to the weapons, police confiscated 2,200 rounds of ammunition. This stockpile included 738 rounds for AK-47s, 78 for Colt rifles, and 19 specialized rounds capable of targeting helicopters.
Tracing the Trail of the Israeli Tavor Rifle
A focal point of the investigation is the origin of the advanced Tavor rifle. Barse Deva informed police that he had carried the rifle since taking charge of his battalion in 2023, but claimed ignorance about how the Maoists originally acquired it.
Police sources revealed that before Deva, the rifle was reportedly in the possession of top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, who was killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh. Preliminary inquiries with other surrendered cadres have led investigators to a strong suspicion.
"CoBRA commandos operating in Chhattisgarh used to carry Tavor rifles. We suspect Maoists stole it in one such ambush on CoBRA personnel in 2014," a senior police official stated. The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is an elite unit of the CRPF deployed in Maoist-affected regions.
A Coordinated Effort to Deal a "Death Blow"
To definitively establish the source of these weapons, Telangana police are now sharing the serial numbers of all 99 factory-made firearms with their counterparts nationwide. "We want to find out the origin of these weapons by running their serial numbers through weapons databases," an official explained.
The scale of the seizure is considered a major setback for the Maoist infrastructure in the state. A police official emphasized, "Seizure of 99 factory-made weapons, 2,200 rounds, is a death blow to the Maoist movement."
Following this surrender, Telangana's Director General of Police, B Shivadhar Reddy, noted that only 17 natives of Telangana remain in the Maoist underground cadre, including four central committee members. He renewed an appeal for them to surrender and join the mainstream.
