SHILLONG: Stressing on early completion of the ongoing fencing along the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya Sector, BSF Meghalaya Frontier IG, Sudesh Kumar, has admitted that the militants groups of the Northeast continue to receive ‘substantial quantity’ of illegal arms and ammunition from China and Myanmar.
“There are isolated instances of arms and ammunition entering into the country across the international border with Bangladesh, but a substantial quantity is coming from the international border with Myanmar and China,” Sudesh Kumar said while speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of a programme on Tuesday.
According to him, these illegal arms and ammunition are transshipped to Dimapur from where the same is smuggled to other states.
It may be mentioned here in the past several GNLA sympathizers were arrested while smuggling arms and ammunition from Dimapur.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma recently said a huge quantity of arms is now available across the Northeast.
“This needs to be addressed jointly by all the state governments and the Centre,” Sangma had said.
Kumar, who looks after the 443-km international border with Bangladesh, said that fencing of the porous India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya is a must to stop smuggling of arms and ammunition from the other side.
“BSF had in the past requested the State Government to expedite the land acquisition process for the completion of the fencing which has been kept on hold following opposition from some NGOs and land owners,” he said.
Reacting to a query on the alleged nexus between ANVC-B and ISI, Kumar said that the BSF did not have any specific input on this count. He, however, expressed concern over emergence of Naxalites in N-E.
