AP Police arrested 50 CPI (Maoist) cadres in coordinated operations across five districts.
Crackdown followed the killing of top commander M. Hidma in the Maredumilli encounter.
Weapons, ammunition and cash were seized as cadres fled Chhattisgarh into Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh Police have detained 50 alleged CPI (Maoist) cadres in coordinated, intelligence-led operations across five districts, a move that followed the killing of top naxalite commander M. Hidma and five others in an encounter at Maredumilli in Alluri Seetharam Raju district on 18 November.
Addressing reporters in Vijayawada, ADGP (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha said, “Following Hidma's killing, we launched a coordinated intelligence-driven operations across five districts and apprehended 50 CPI (Maoist) cadres.” According to PTI, the arrests spanned Krishna, Eluru, NTR, Kakinada and Konaseema districts, along with Vijayawada City, in what officials described as a silent and synchronised crackdown.
Police said the detainees occupied various positions within the Maoist organisation — from special zonal committee members and divisional committee members to area committee members and regular party ranks — operating largely across the south Bastar–Dandakaranya region. Laddha noted that many had moved from Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur and West Bastar districts in Chhattisgarh amid sustained security pressure and were later tracked down in Andhra Pradesh.
PTI reported that personnel from the State Intelligence Department, the Special Investigation Branch (SIB), district police units and the Vijayawada Commissionerate participated in the operation after receiving inputs on Maoist movements. Officers recovered 39 weapons, 302 rounds of ammunition, detonators, cordtex wire, communication devices and ₹13 lakh in cash during searches.
Laddha said three special zonal committee members and several divisional committee members were among those arrested, calling it a significant setback to Maoist leadership and efforts to reorganise networks between Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
“The entire operation was executed with silent precision, ensuring no cadre escaped and no civilian was harmed,” SIB chief PHD Ramakrishna told PTI.
(With inputs from PTI)
