From Our Correspondent
TURA: Williamnagar police made a huge breakthrough by seizing more than Rs 22 lakh along with explosive material from the house of GNLA chief Sohan D Shira during a search operation conducted on Monday afternoon at the militant leader’s village across the river Simsang.
The raid conducted by SWAT commandos of East Garo Hills police with support from 5th MLP battalion personnel inside Chachatgre village led to the recovery of the money besides solar lights and electric detonators.
“This evening at around 3:30pm SWAT commandos along with 5th MLP Bn personnel raided Sohan D Shira’s house. During the search a stash of incriminating evidence was recovered from inside the ceiling of the house,” informed Williamnagar police in a release to the media.
The recovered amount Rs. 22, 83,500 was reportedly collected by the GNLA through extortion of traders and businessmen including coal dealers and companies in the Garo Hills.
A total of 25 numbers of electric detonators for use in IED explosions was also seized from the hidden attic of the house. The GNLA is known to have in its arsenal a substantial number of IEDs and the recovery of the detonators indicate the outfit is keen to experiment in a big way. Just three days ago, West Garo Hills police located three powerful IEDs planted on the Kherapara-Chokpot road at a place called Nalnapara and successfully defused them on Sunday. A minister who was in the area to watch a football match had to walk several kms back to the main road in the darkness of the night for fear of falling prey to an IED blast. Meanwhile, Williamnagar police also recovered along with the several lakh rupees and detonators about 8 wireless sets with chargers, 2 Sony handycams, 3 solar plates, 4 solar LED home lights, 13 solar lamps, 3 mobile phones, 16 SIM cards and 2 pencil battery chargers.