From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L Imchen who is a senior leader of the ruling Nagaland People’s Front (NPF), was today detained in Wokha district of the poll-bound State after he was found carrying Rs 1.10 crore in cash and a huge cache of arms and ammunition in his vehicle.
According to a senior official of Wokha district the home minister Imchen was apprehended during a checking by personnel from 17 Assam Rifles on Kohima –Mokokchung Road just after his vehicle had entered Wokha district.
“According to the report submitted by Assam Rifles, the home minister Imchen was found to carry Rs 1.10 crore in cash, five 7.65 pistols with five magazines and 80 rounds of ammunition, two .303 rifles with two magazines and 100 rounds of ammunition.
The minister is now in police custody and the Wokha superintendent of police has been asked to file an FIR with the police in this connection,” the official said.
Imchen was going to his constituency Koridang in Mokokchung district from the State capital Kohima when Assam Rifles personnel conducting search of vehicles near Wokha district found the arms and ammunition, and cash in his vehicle.
The Assam Rifles personnel handed him over to the district administration and police.
Imchen is the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) candidate from Koridang and is also the NPF campaign in-charge of Mokokchung district.
He has been representing Koridang constituency in Nagaland Assembly since 2003.
It may mentioned that Nagaland Home Minister Imchen was earlier detained in Kathmandu airport in June 30 , 2010 after he was found in the possession of huge quantity of Indian currency notes in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 which are banned in Nepal.
On February 16, a flying squad of the Election Commission had seized Rs one crore cash from a helicopter allegedly being used by a candidate of the Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF).
The chopper was allegedly hired to ferry Nyemli Phom, who is contesting the Assembly polls from a constituency in Longleng district.