TURA: A senior member of the defunct A’chik National Liberation Cooperative Army (ANLCA) was arrested along with three of his accomplices from Williamnagar in a joint operation by police from East and North Garo Hills districts early Thursday morning, police informed.
The self-styled leader of the group (ANLCA) Mithun Momin who hails from Kharkutta region, was arrested from a house he had rented in the heart of Williamnagar town. Three of his accomplices, Chengchak G Momin, Chingsan M Marak and Nasiruddin Marak were also arrested although no weapon was recovered.
Garo Hills police revealed that the group had been active l for quite some time in serving extortion notices to businessmen and petty traders at several places in the east and northern districts and many of the victims had negotiated with the gang and paid in response to their demands over fears of reprisals.
The ANLCA was initially formed by another wanted criminal, William A Sangma who later changed the group’s name to ANCA and carried out several kidnappings in the border belt between Garo Hills and neighbouring Goalpara district of Assam. He escaped from police custody in Mendipather, two years ago and was arrested this year from Goalpara in Assam along with another accomplice.