The Tamil Nadu police has reportedly stepped up security arrangements and combing operations after Maoists cadres are believed to have undergone arms training in October in the forests of Wayanad in Kerala.
The area is a forest tri-junction bordering the states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and close to the Nilgiris.
According to The New Indian Express, a high-level meeting of Western Region Review Meet chaired by Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, TK Rajendran, discussed the arms training issue and measures to be taken to prevent Maoist movement in the region.
The meeting was held in Coimbatore on Saturday.
“In the meeting, we discussed about the Maoist movement in the Western region and the police personnel are on a high alert. As of now, there is no movement of suspected Maoists in Tamil Nadu. They were found only in Kerala and we have taken precautionary actions with the help of the Special Task Force and local police personnel,” DGP TK Rajendran, told Express.
An intelligence wing officer told Express on condition of anonymity that groups of Maoists were sighted at reserve forests of Wayanad in October. He added that leaders from North India had participated in the arms training.
Based on the information provided by Kerala Intelligence Wing, the Tamil Nadu Intelligence Wing personnel visited the forest to confirm Maoist presence.
Superintendent of Police Murali Rambha told Express that 16 check posts were set up on Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and that security in Nilgiris have been stepped up.
"We have not found movement of any suspected persons in the Nilgiris forest areas," he was quoted as saying.