The Dummugudem police on Monday seized explosive materials including 500 gelatine sticks, 600 slurry sticks and 90 bundles of cordex wire in Mulakanapalli forest area in the border mandal of Bhadrachalam Agency.
The seizure was made during a joint combing operation by the police and the CRPF personnel on Monday morning.
Five Maoist couriers and an equal number of Maoist militia members were arrested by the police while allegedly loading the explosive materials in a tractor-trolley in the forest area.
The arrested Maoist couriers were identified as Junnu Koti, 36, Arepalli Srikanth, 23, Mekala Raju, 36, Chiliveru Ramesh, 28, Thallapalli Arogyam, 25, all hailing from Warangal district, police said.
The police identified the arrested Maoist militia members as Musiki Ramesh, 32, Musiki Suresh, 25, B Lalu, 22, Sodi Mahesh, 20, and Madivi Chethu, 21. They belong to Bijapur district in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
Addressing a press conference in Kothagudem on Monday afternoon, Superintendent of Police Dr G Vineeth said the arrested Maoist couriers had procured the explosive materials at the behest of some top Maoist leaders to supply the same to the latter for making improvised explosive devices and rocket launchers to target the combing police parties.
They were apprehended while loading the explosive materials into a tractor brought by five Chhattisgarh-based Maoist militia members in the Mulkanapalli forest area, he added.
The SP said stern action will be taken against those who supplied the explosive materials to the Maoist couriers.
