Assam cops seize Meghalaya rebels' arms

Three people were arrested Thursday and a cache of arms and ammunition, suspected to be meant for the Meghalaya-based militant outfit Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), was seized here, Assam Police said.

The consignment was recovered from the Inter State Bus Terminus at Gorchuk area in the morning. Those arrested included two GNLA linkmen, police said.

Inspector General of Police (Central Western Range) L.R. Bishnoi said the seized items included one AK 56 rifle, one magazine, one short-barreled gun, one rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher, seven RPG shells, 375 rounds of ammunition, four mobile handsets and Rs.50,000 in cash.

"The consignment was booked from Dimapur through a courier agency. After the delivery in Guwahati, it was supposed to be taken to Garo Hills in Meghalaya through a night service bus," Bishnoi said.

"This is the second incident this year where Assam Police have taken action against the GNLA militants in Guwahati. The first incident took place in February when two GNLA cadres were gunned down," he said.

"Senior Superintendent of Police (City) A.P. Tiwary started the operation since last night and the consignment was recovered today morning from the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Gorchuk area in the city," he said.

"We have arrested J. Marak and Arbit Sangma - both linkmen of the GNLA. Another person Md. Jahid Hussain, was also arrested. Hussain is a local contact of the outfit in Guwahati who handles these kinds of consignment and he gets Rs.50,000 for handling each consignment," Bishnoi said.