Pre-dawn raid in Sohan’s house
TURA: A huge cache of items including large sums of money amounting to several lakhs and a powerful and highly sophisticated satellite phone were seized from the residence of GNLA militant chief Sohan D Shira by police commandos in a pre-dawn raid on his village Chachatgre, 3 kms from Williamnagar, on Sunday. Police also arrested Ponty Ch Momin, brother-in-law of Shira.
Based on intelligence inputs about the stocking of various items for subversive activities by the banned GNLA, SWAT commandos backed by CRPF CoBRA units raided the village, located across the river Simsang, just before daylight.
A search of the house yielded an assortment of items including explosive devices, mobile phones, detonators, high-tech communication set and wades of Indian and Bangladesh currencies amounting to several lakhs.
Indian currency to the tune of Rs. 3,34,100/- and Bangladeshi Taka 63,000/- were found inside the house of the militant leader along with his diary and registers that kept a detailed note of accounts of the armed organization.
Explosive materials in the form of four powerful Claymore mine boxes along with thirty-nine detonators were also seized from inside the house.
A satellite phone that can be operated from any part of the world for communication and was meant for Sohan D Shira was also recovered from the house.
A search of the surroundings of the residence yielded a 9mm country-made pistol with two magazines containing sixteen rounds of live ammo were found sealed in a plastic bag from the compound.
15-year-old Ponty Ch Momin was also taken into custody for his alleged involvement in the concealment of the items for the militant organization.
“He (Ponty) was receiving the items, storing them in the house and later dispatching the same for Sohan to the militant camps. Since he is underaged, he has been forwarded to juvenile custody,” informed district police chief J F K Marak.
The other items recovered from the house included 23 mobile phone handsets and 34 batteries along with 11 sim cards, 5 internet dongle devices, 4 solar charger LED lights, 50 mts of Sagty fuse wire, , a Sony Digital Camera, one Polaroid Camera, one Kodak Digital Camera, a Portable color monitor, 1 roll of speaker cable, 1 – roll PBC wire, 2 jars of assorted electric equipments, Micromax (Funbook) Tablet, Electrical measuring devices, a set of Uniform and rolls of flexible wires used for detonation purposes.
Sohan threatens retaliation: Meanwhile, angry at the raid on his private residence and loss of equipment and explosives meant for his armed outfit, GNLA commander-in-chief has threatened retaliation in a ‘big’ way.
Police sources reveal that the GNLA chief called up police officials warning of a huge bang directed against those who participated in the police operation on his house and claimed that the outfit continues to have in its possession ‘sufficient’ explosive material to make its threat come true.
“We know he will try to retaliate for the loss, but we are prepared for that,” said police from East Garo Hills.
It may be recalled that the GNLA chief had retaliated against a similar operation in the past.
In 2012 Williamnagar police raided his house and recovered twenty-four lakh of rupees along with weapons, explosives and solar equipment. In retaliation GNLA militants attacked the ancestral home of the district police chief at Williamnagar opening indiscriminate fire on the outside of the house. They also left behind a powerful IED bomb planted next to the outer gate of the house to target the arrival of the police chief but was detected by police in the morning and later defused.