An alleged plot by Maoists to attack the police by planting landmines in the forest fringe areas of Manuguru division was foiled by the police with the arrest of 12 CPI (Maoist) village defence committee members on Friday, police said. Acting on specific information, three police teams launched combing operations in Regalla-Nimmagudem forest area in Karakagudem mandal and the Aswapurampadu-Motlathogu forest area in Edulla Bayyaram mandal simultaneously on Friday.
During the search operations, the Karakagudem police nabbed as many as eight Maoist village defence committee members of Nimmagudem while the latter were allegedly trying to plant landmines at a hillock near Nimmagudem, sources said.
The police seized explosive material, including two tiffin boxes, 10 gelatin sticks, two detonators, six batteries and a large bundle of electric wire from their possession. All those arrested belong to Nimmagudem, police added. In a separate raid, the police apprehended four more Maoist village defence committee members of Aswapurampadu while they were moving under suspicious circumstances with explosive material at Motlathogu forest area in Edulla Bayyaram mandal on Friday morning.
