Editor,
The achievements of Meghalaya Police in the Umroi arms haul case is commendable. The challenge now is to bring the perpetrators from the place of ingress into the Indian territory till the intended recipients and therefore bring the case to its logical
conclusion. This is not a one off operation. In fact this was first noticed during the operation ‘Golden Bird’ carried out by the Indian and Myanmar security forces along the international border from Manipur to Mizoram. Thereafter in the ‘Operation Leech’ on the Andaman Sea by the Indian Navy in conjunction with the Airforce. In fact, one dominant group operating in Assam,carried out several dry runs from Mizoram to Assam carrying ammunition concealed under betel nuts in trucks, to see what checks are carried out by the enforcement agencies all along the route. Obviously, greasing of palms expedited the movements without any hindrance.
The gun runner have mentioned the name of the place from where they have come as ‘Piao’. Actually it should read as Tiao. This is the river which runs along the international boundary between India and Myanmar in
Mizoram. There is no international market for such activities there. But all third country goods transiting through Myanmar from China, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia enter through the Zawkhathar Land Customs Station (LCS) in India from the Rikhawthar L.C.S. of Myanmar after the mandatory ‘payments’ to all agencies operating in that area.
Regarding the entry of high value goods, arms and ammunition, there are numerous routes from Ngopa to Farkawn and from Tuipang to the tri-junction of India Bangladesh and Myanmar to Demagiri and from Phuldengsei to Tuipuibari in the Tripura Mizoram
Bangladesh tri-junction. These belts are poorly patrolled and in a routine manner without any imagination, and the frequency and the routes traversed, are well known by the smugglers in those areas who are ably supported by the CNA., ALA.and NUPA.operating in those areas against the Myanmar Government.
The payment for these clandestine activities are in US $ transiting from Kolkata by air through the Aizawl airport, and are handed over by trusted couriers who also forward the shopping lists at Mandalay, through the overland route from Champhai to Tahan.
The details of this complex operation came to light in the year 1997-98.
Yours etc.
Kisholoy Das
Via email
Fighting corruption a long haul
Editor,
Anna Hazare cryptically remarked that we throw stones only at fruit laden trees, not at barren ones. Taking pot shots at the government at the centre, because it has shown a readiness to do something positive to make India better and pushing it on to a more pro active and not reactive programme is a good strategy like ‘hammering the iron when it is hot”. But tiresome chest thumping, “We are the People- we are all the civil society there is’, ‘more than 90% of the populace want our model of the draft and not the government’s”, is making the Anna Hazare group increasingly look more like the hound in the Aesop’s fable that lost the bone in the mouth in an effort to grab at a mirage. Sure today is the time to make a concerted effort to come clean, to start a tryst with transparency, starting with ourselves, but it is not going to be finished in one fell swoop. A continent sized nation will not turn on a dime or change into a blemishless princess with one magic word. What we all need is a mule-headed obstinacy in not giving in, in the short run and in the long haul as well. The skirmish is just beginning, the battle will be bitter and bloody. Let us batten down for the long voyage in rough seas.
Yours etc.,
John D. Jayakumar
Shillong