GUWAHATI, Nov 21 - The ultras are taking advantage of the porous inter-state borders with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh to sneak into the bordering areas, while, at the same time, the militant groups are trying to exchange their old currency in the neighbouring states as the Income Tax Department is not keeping a close watch on the hill states.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, the Director General of Assam Police, Mukesh Sahay, who is in Tinsukia supervising the counter-insurgency operations following the recent attack on Army personnel by militants at Pengeree, in which three Army personnel were killed, said that a massive manhunt was launched to nab the ultras involved in the attack.
He said that frequent meetings are being held between the stakeholders involved in the counter-insurgency operations, including police, Army, paramilitary forces and other central agencies, to deal with the militants. He said a meeting of the Unified Command would be held within the next few days for a detailed discussion of the situation and to chalk out strategies to deal with the militants.
The DGP said that at present, the state-based militant outfits like the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) and the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) are not in a position to strike alone and that is why a common platform of the active ultra groups of the Northeast was formed and the recent attack was carried out by such a joint group. He said that in most parts of the state, the ULFA(I) has lost its bases. However, it is a fact that the outfit has been trying to make fresh recruitments in parts of Upper Assam.
�We have managed to nab a few of the new recruits and persons engaged by the ULFA(I) for recruiting youths. But, according to reports available, a few youths have been recruited by the ULFA(I),� he added.
Sahay pointed out that the problem aggravated in the inter-state border areas as ultras sneak into Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland whenever operations are intensified against them. He said the Assam Police is in touch with its counterparts in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
The DGP further said that following the demonetisation move by the Government of India, the militant outfits are trying to exchange the old Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes and the police and security forces are keeping a close watch on the situation. He said that recently, a petroleum product dealer was arrested in Sivasagar when he tried to exchange money on behalf of the ULFA(I). Though the Income Tax Department is also keeping a watch on huge volume of transactions in Assam, such watches are not kept in some of the neighbouring states. There is a strong possibility of the ultras taking advantage of the situation to exchange old currency notes, he pointed out and said that the police forces of the neighbouring states have been requested to keep a watch on huge volumes of exchange of money.
