ITANAGAR, Jan 31 � In a major breakthrough, the Arunachal Pradesh police has arrested two militants of Sangbijit faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland and two of their linkmen, thwarting their plan to abduct an unnamed top official of a public sector undertaking (PSU).
Police also recovered three revolvers and five live rounds of ammunition from their possession. This is the first instance of arrest of NDFB(S) militants by the Arunachal police after the security forces intensified their operations against the banned militant group following the massacre of Adivasis in neighbouring Assam on December 23 last, IGP Law and Order ID Shukla told reporters here today.
Giving information about the catch, the IGP said that acting on a tip-off, a police team which has been tracking the movement of the accused for the last couple of days, apprehended the two NDFB (S) militants � identified as Rajiv Basumatary (26) and Dino Basumatary (27) � from Chauldhua area in Lakhimpur district of Assam.
Police, later, arrested three others with two of them being their linkmen (all natives of Arunachal) � two from Ganga market in Itanagar � identified as Dani Miri alias Ado and Acha Pordung � and another from Balijan in Papum Pare district who was identified as Nanu Tacha alias Radhe.
While divulging that the militants were trying to abduct the general manager of a PSU here after he reportedly failed to meet their extortion demand, the IGP said timely intervention by the police has helped in securing the life of a potential victim of kidnapping.
He said police seized two of the three weapons from the possession of 27-year-old Pordung, earlier arrested on charges of extortion and released from Dhemaji jail on December 12 last, and the third one from Nanu Tacha.
Dani Miri, who hails from Hija (Ziro) of Lower Subansiri district, was arrested on charges of black-marketing of SIM cards to terrorists and militants, Shukla said, adding, we are going to unearth the black-marketing of SIM cards soon.
The police have registered two separate cases against them.
The IGP said it was unclear whether the arrested NDFB (S) militants were involved in the recent massacre in Assam, adding that the accused were being thoroughly interrogated and are to be grilled by top officials from Assam who are coming here on Monday to attend the Core Group meeting.
Replying to a question, Shukla exuded confidence that the police from Assam and Arunachal, now maintaining good coordination post Assam carnage, would definitely bust all such inter-State extortion racket.
