ANVC cadres selling arms to GNLA: Matter under investigation
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday asked the disbanded rebel groups — ANVC and its breakaway faction ANVC-B — to ensure none of its cadres turn rouge and dilute the objective of the peace settlement.
“Both the organisations (ANVC-ANVC-B) should take full responsibility to ensure that none of the cadres tend to turn rogue and become a factor which dilutes our efforts to achieve the objective of peace settlement,” Sangma said adding that “We cannot rule out the possibilities where one or two cadres of the disbanded groups might have hide their arms and not declare all of them.”
His statement came in the wake of reports alleging that one of the cadres of the outfits was found to have sold arms worth Rs 17 lakh to the banned Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).
Sangma said that the matter is being investigated and it would be taken up with the leadership of the disbanded organizations.
It was East Garo Hills Police which made a major discovery about weapons secretly being sold by some ANVC cadres to the banned GNLA for a huge sum of money which has been seized in an operation across the Simsang river near Chisobibra on Monday.
Three persons who were tasked with selling the weapons to the GNLA and collect the money for the ANVC cadres were arrested and the transaction money amounting to seventeen lakh rupees has been recovered.
The Chief Minister also made it clear that legal process would follow whenever there are instances of breach of law. Stating that disbanding of the rebels organisation was just the beginning, Sangma said “Subsequently there are many other parameters which we need to fulfill.”
“This process will also be followed up from the perspective of the commitment which is part of the Text Agreed Settlement. They are equally responsible and are duty bound to cooperate with the investigating agency,” he added.