Rourkela: A fresh challenge has surfaced for the security forces involved in anti-Maoist operations across the state border which may very well prove to be a test of their strength on this side. In the last couple of months, security forces have found a trail of ‘doda’ smugglers. ‘Doda’ is the bark of the opium tree. The personnel have seized ‘doda’ worth Rs 6 crores during anti-Maoist search operations. The combined forces of CRPF, Jaguar and CoBRA battalion have found huge amounts of ‘doda’ in two successful operations.
Following a tip-off, security forces recovered the banned substance in an abandoned house April 21, this year. The contraband, weighing over 2,162 kg, was kept in 92 sacks, the market value of which was nearly Rs 3.24 crores. The finding alerted the forces, said one paramilitary personnel involved in anti-Maoist operations on this side of the border. Subsequently, in another raid conducted in a jungle under Tobo PS near the bank of Chaki river June 2, they found another huge consignment of 2,100 kg ‘doda’ worth nearly Rs 3.15 crore kept in 83 sacks. It became clear to the security forces that such activity could not be carried out inside Saranda forest without the involvement of the Naxals. The banned contraband has a huge market in northern India, especially in Punjab and Haryana.
Notably, seizure of ‘doda’ consignments was made not very far from the Odisha border — within 30-50 km in West Singhbhum district in neighbouring Jharkhand. “This is another means of earning money by giving protection to this activity apart from their regular sources like mines and industries in the Maoist-affected areas,” one official on the other side said. This intelligence has been shared among forces. It is pertinent to mention that Rourkela shares a porous border with Jharkhand and illegal timber smuggling is an open secret here. Saranda forest is one of the biggest forests in the country stretching over 820 sq. kms. It borders Odisha and timbers brought from here are sold in Rourkela and sent to different parts of the state. On the other hand, Rourkela is the transit point for ‘ganja’ smuggled from Kandhamal, Koraput districts and other surrounding areas. This contraband has been seized in large amounts on several occasions while being smuggled to Jharkhand and Bihar.