Bengal cops to quiz gun runners - Chirang police seize another consignment, arrest four men

The two accused after their arrest with arms and ammunition 

Pankaj Sarma, TT, Guwahati, Nov. 9: A Bengal police team arrived in Assam today to investigate the seizure of arms bound for the state yesterday.
An official source today told The Telegraph that the huge cache of sophisticated arms and ammunition, which was bound for Siliguri, was suspected to be for a militant group active in north Bengal.

“A team of Bengal police arrived in Chirang district today to interrogate the two persons arrested in this connection and for further investigation into the case,” the source said.

The consignment of arms and ammunition was recovered from a Tata Safari bearing registration number WB 74AE/4788 at Chapaguri under Dhaligaon police station in a joint operation carried out by Chirang police, CRPF’s 156 Battalion and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel. A US-made M16 rifle, two Italian-made Beretta pistols, three .32 bore pistols, 300 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 80 rounds of ammunition of AK-series rifles, 198 rounds of M16 ammunition and 60 rounds of .32 ammunition were recovered from the vehicle.

“Two persons, Umesh Kami from Darjeeling and Ganesh Chetri from Nikashi area in Baksa district in Assam, have been arrested in this connection,” the source said.

The police suspect the vehicle was coming from Dimapur in Nagaland and was heading for Siliguri, when it was intercepted by security forces in Chirang district based on intelligence inputs.

“Based on the interrogation of the arrested duo by the team of Bengal police, operations are being carried out in a few places in Darjeeling district of Bengal,” the source said.

On who was the intended receiver of the consignment, the source said at this moment when the investigation was at a preliminary stage “we can only say it is probably meant for a militant group active in north Bengal and further investigation is on to confirm it”.

Officials of central intelligence agencies are also expected to reach Chirang tomorrow to interrogate the two accused. The duo will be produced in court tomorrow.

A police source said they are investigating the links of the arrested duo with a newly formed militant organisation, United Gorkha Peoples Organisation.

Police sources in Darjeeling said around 7.30pm today, a police team raided the home of Sanjay Thulung, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration member from Kurseong’s Glenburn. A police source in Darjeeling said: “The raid was conducted in connection with the arms seizure in Assam.”

In another operation carried out this evening, another arms consignment was seized by Chirang police from two vehicles — one Innova and a Bolero — from the Runikhata area of the district. Four persons have been arrested in this connection.

Chirang SP Ranjan Bhuyan said the consignment was coming from Dimapur for NDFB (S) militants.

He said one M16 rifle, four magazines, 100 rounds of M16 rifles, 10 grenade shells and camouflage caps were found in the two vehicles.

The arrested men were identified as Bipul Mandal (driver of the Innova), Ratan Barman (driver of the Bolero), Mannan Ali and Rahul Medhi.

The two back-to-back arms hauls have come as a big boost for Chirang police.