Police recover huge cache of arms from Maoists

Kolkata, Feb 18 (PTI) Two Maoists were arrested todayafter a gunfight at Bera and Baghghora in West Midnaporedistrict and a huge cache of arms and ammunition wererecovered, most of which were snatched from joint forces,police said.

The two Maoists -- Bhim Baske and Ganesh Murmu -- areclose to the top Maoist hierarchy, SP Manoj Kumar Verma told apress conference in Midnapore.

"We have been able to recover a huge cache of armsincluding one INSAS rifle and two magazines looted from Sildacamp on Feb 15, 2010; one SLR looted from the EFR patrol partyat Gidhni on Nov 27, 2009 and one .303 rifle with magazinelooted from Sankrail police station on Oct 20, 2009," he said.

"With this recovery we have been able recover 26 ofthe 70 weapons snatched from the police by the Maoists," Vermasaid.

The police also recovered one 9 mm pistol, one singlebarrel rifle, 7 kg explosives, 5 socket landmines, 8detonators, 4 flash guns, one camera, a number plate of avehicle, camouflage dress, women''s garments, torch, cellphones, besides materials for making explosives and medicines.

"One notebook with detailed training module wasrecovered from the spot," Verma said.