Huge cache of arms belonging to GNLF seized

The Meghalaya police seized a huge cache of arms belonging to the banned Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) on Wednesday from a remote village in East Garo Hills district, a senior police official said.

Acting on a tip off by villagers, police teams reached the spot and seized the arms, he said.

The arms recovered include an AK 47 with broken trigger assembly, one single barrel muzzle loading gun, two single barrel breach loading rifles, seven pistols, two AK magazines and one .303 LMG magazine and five self loading rifle magazines, the official said.

The ammunitions seized included two INSAS magazines, seven pistol magazines, three mortar shells, one 36 HE hand grenade, 2823 ammunition of various calibers, two remote controls for improvised explosive devices, 11 time bomb circuits, 12 RC bomb circuits, 10 time bomb batteries, besides three walkie-talkie sets, 34 WT battery chargers, 20 WT set adapters, six WT set battery covers.

Also seized were 46 WT set headphones, four tactical pistol holster, one IED without detonator, besides GNLA writing materials.

Police are trying to ascertain if more arms have been hidden in the area, the official said.

Similar recoveries of hidden arms allegedly stashed by the dead GNLA 'commander-in-chief' Sohan D Shira, were made earlier this year, the police said.