ANCA using juveniles to smuggle arms

The newly floated militant organisation, Achik National Cooperation Army (ANCA), is using juveniles to smuggle arms and terrorise people in the Garo Hills region, a senior police official said today.
The revelation came in the wake of the arrest of five ANCA militants yesterday in Assam's Kamrup (Rural) district during a joint operation and their subsequent interrogation.
The ANCA militant, Amar Sangma alias Amar Thapa, revealed that their self-styled chairman, William A Sangma, had sent two cadres to Dimapur for bringing weapons, Inspector General of Police (Operations) G H P Raju told PTI.
Recently William had sent a 14 year-old Mankanson W Sangma to Dimapur along with a hardcore ANCA member Elwart M Sangma for procuring weapons, he said.

These two were apprehended and arrested by Assam police along with weapons from Guwahati Railway Station and this was corroborated by Guwahati SP Anand Tiwari, adding that the minor is now lodged in a juvenile home there.
The ANCA militants who were taken into custody by the Meghalaya Police today also revealed that their chairman engages small boys for arms smuggling believing that it is easier for them to get bail and they would never be sent to jail, Raju said.

From their interrogation, it is revealed that the militant outfit is also responsible for kidnappings from Tura, Tikrikilla, Phulbari areas of Garo Hills, and Agia area of Assam in the recent past, he said.

They have formed ANCA for raising funds through kidnapping and extortion for procuring weapons from Dimapur, the police official said.
Dilseng K Sangma, another arrested ANCA cadre disclosed that weapons are supplied from Dimapur, but at a high cost due to the transport risk involved.
The five were arrested from an area under Boko PS along the Assam-Meghalaya border yesterday. They were identified as Hanil Marak, Lokrat Marak, Amar Sangma, Geelsing Sangma and Silgrak Gee Momin.