Language barrier hits arms probe
SHILLONG: Police are finding it tough to make progress in the investigation in the Umroi arms haul case due to language barrier.
The three arms smugglers from whom eight disassembled AK-56 rifles were recovered on Saturday night at Lad Umroi have been “stubborn” during the course of investigation, revealed a senior police official on Monday.
“One of them could speak English, but the two others cannot communicate either in English or in Hindi,” sources said.
Meanwhile the trio, Lalchawsanga Zahau, 45, C.L. Hliva, 47, and Lallawmzuala, 34, were remanded in 14 days police custody by a local court on Monday.
The arms probably meant for a militant outfit in Karbi Anglong district of Assam were supposed to be delivered to one “Raju”, one of the smugglers told police.
Meghalaya police on Monday found the registration number of the Maruti Gypsy (MZ01 D5272) carrying the arms to be fake while police are trying to ascertain if the smugglers are from Mizoram or Myanmar.
They were suspected to have begun their journey with the weapons from Piau village in Mizoram’s Champhai district bordering Myanmar.
Security alert: The State Government has cautioned the police to be on extra vigil in view of the recent killing of two militants of NDFB’s anti-talks faction in Garo Hills last week.
“We have asked the police to be alert and careful after the recent killings,” Principal Secretary to the Home department, CD Kynjing said on Monday. The caution has been sounded in order to prevent any retaliatory attacks by the outfit. NDFB (anti-talks) general secretary Derhasar alias Dijen Dhigwara Narzary and his close-aide Bwidha Gawri were killed in an encounter with security forces at Guresimram village in East Garo Hills district on June 19. The encounter took place close on the heels of killing of three policemen in an ambush suspected to be carried out jointly by the NDFB’s anti-talks faction and the GNLA.