In a first in Telangana, cops seize drone camera from Maoist couriers

The drone camera was found along with a lathe machine and explosive materials during joint search operations by Cherla police, special party police and CRPF 141 Bn personnel at Devanagaram of Cherla mandal in the district on Tuesday

Khammam: In a development, which could be of serious concern for security forces deployed in areas affected by left wing extremism (LWE) in Chhattisgarh and Telangana, police have seized a drone camera from CPI (Maoist) couriers.

The drone camera was found along with a lathe machine and explosive materials during joint search operations by Cherla police, special party police and CRPF 141 Bn personnel at Devanagaram of Cherla mandal in the district on Tuesday.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Superintendent of Police Dr. Vineeth G said it was for the first time that police in Telangana seized a drone camera that was on its way to Maoists. “Had the drone camera fallen into the hands of Maoists, it could have posed a great threat to security forces as Maoists could have gathered details of vital security installations using it,” he said.

The SP said the police had started work to track the vendor who sold the drone camera to the Maoist couriers. “We will find out everyone who is supporting the Maoists from outside and take legal action,” he said.

According to sources, police in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh had found a drone camera, purportedly operated by Maoists, hovering over a CRPF camp at Kistaram and Pallodi in November 2019. Alarmed at the development, intelligence agencies tracked the vendor to Mumbai at that time.

The incident also proves the fact that the Maoists were employing modern technology to conduct reconnaissance of security forces, monitor and detect their movements, officials said, adding that this could be a new challenge to security forces, though they were already using drones to track Maoists movements in LWE areas.

Maoists were also trying to become self-sufficient by making firearms on their own to target police. The lathe machine found with the couriers was said to be used for marking gun barrels. They recently procured a drilling machine from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.

10 gelatin sticks, five electric detonators and 160 metres cordex wire were among the material seized from Punem Nageshwar Rao and Devanuri Mallikarjun Rao of Cherla mandal and V Umashanker of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, the couriers arrested on Tuesday.

Bhadrachalam ASP Paritosh Pankaj, CRPF 141 Bn additional commandant Kamal Veer Yadav, OSD T Sai Manohar and Cherla CI B Ashok were present.