SHILLONG: Phulbari MLA and NPP leader, SG Esmatur Mominin has blamed Assam based gangs operating in Garo Hills region for the spurt in criminal activities there.
The statement came from the MLA of plain belt following the recent assertion of a group of organisation in Garo Hills which held unabated influx as the as cause for the rising crime in Garo Hills
Talking to media persons here on Wednesday, Mominin said that the people of the plain belt area share a cordial relationship with those in the uplands as 80 percent of them are businessmen
He however said that as the plain belts of Garo Hills shares border with neighbouring Assam, there are criminals who comes from Assam to Meghalaya and operate here.
It may be mentioned that earlier, leaders from various organisations including GSMC, GSU, CEC, AIGU and AAYWS had submitted a memorandum to Home Minister James Sangma while urging him to effectively check influx in the region.
On being asked if there were any Bangladesh immigrants involved in such criminal activities, Mominin said, “As far as my knowledge goes, police have not arrested anybody and said that this man was from Bangladesh. But of course, criminals come from Assam and operate here”.
Stating that some criminals come from Assam to Meghalaya and commit different types of crimes like dacoity, kidnapping he said that he had no such knowledge that any man coming from Bangladesh till now was found to be involved in such criminal activity,” he added.
He also said that many of them who were arrested belong from Assam, and they were involved in criminal activities like dacoity and kidnapping and such activities are mostly prevalent in a place called Kaptuli.
Mominin said that such criminal activities were on the rise during the militancy period before 2014 and after that such cases had come down drastically.
“Such activities usually take place mainly during the time of Achik National Volunteer Council, (ANVC) GNLA but after 2014 it has come down to a considerable extent,” he said.