Four militants including three HNLC arrested
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Police have foiled the proscribed HNLC’s bid to carry out subversive activities in the State.
The matter has come to light following the arrest of four militants including three members of HNLC on Friday night.
The militants were arrested while they were trying to sneak into East Khasi Hills district on Friday night .The fourth rebel was a senior cadre of the United Liberation Front of Asom- Independent (ULFA-I).
Police sounded an alert in the district following an intelligence input that HNLC cadres had come from Bangladesh to the district, East Khasi Hills district police chief M Kharkrang said on Saturday.
“Accordingly, police check points were placed all over the city,” he said.
According to Kharkrang, at around 9:40 pm, the SOT personnel intercepted one vehicle (ML05 M 3807) on the ) NH 40 at Mawlieh View Point, near Langkyrdem. The four were arrested by SOT personnel from the vehicle, Kharkrang said. Two AK 56 rifles, 1 with 105 live Chinese rounds, 9mm Mauser with 24 live 9mm rounds, 2 Improvised Claymore Explosives weighing 15.7Kgs in 2 Claymore Boxes, 2 Timer Devices inside plastic spectacle boxes, 2 battery power sources, 1 Multimeter Voltage Testor were recovered from their possession. It is suspected that because of heavy police checking, the four militants could not execute their plan to plant a bomb. The Bomb Disposal Squad was immediately called in to de-activate the explosives where 6 pieces of Commercial Electrical Detonators were detonated using Cordex wire at the spot itself. The arrested HNLC cadres were Nobleson Rynjah, Phrankor Rynjah and Kyrseiboklang Lyngdoh. Kharkrang said the Special Operation Team also nabbed a senior ULFA-I rebel Bikhat Ahom of Assam’s Bongaigaon area. Ahom is a bomb expert and is wanted by Assam police for several bombings and other criminal activities in Assam. “Ahom’s arrest is a major breakthrough for the Meghalaya Police as we strongly suspected him of being involved in the November 2014 blast at Jhalupara area” another senior police told a news agency. The arrested militants have been forwarded to court with a request for 14 days police custody.