Imphal, May 13 2010: The goods looted from six Tata Sumos and seven Maruti vans after hijacking the vehicles by some armed cadres of NSCN-IM on the night of May 11 were reportedly worth Rs 15 lakh.

The vehicles were hijacked by armed cadres from Thamnapokpi on Imphal-Moreh road at about 8 pm of May 11 and taken to a place beyond Chandel bazar.

Some unfortunate passengers who were travelling in the vehicles told media persons today that fully loaded six Tata Sumos and seven Maruti van were returning from Moreh to Imphal when some armed cadres of NSCN-IM stopped the vehicles at Thamnapokpi and hijacked at gunpoint.

One Maruti van which was coming in the rear turned back and drove away toward Tengnoupal.

The NSCN-IM cadres opened fire a few rounds toward the escaping van and chased in a Gypsy and a Maruti car.

The twelve vehicles were taken toward Chandel on Liwa Sarei-Komlathabi road.

A Shaktiman truck and about ten NSCN-IM cadres in camouflage were found waiting at a place beyond Chandel bazar.

All the goods including rice, dal, onions, garlic, clothes and other assorted items were unloaded from the vehicles and loaded on to the Shaktiman truck.

The NSCN-IM cadres also forcibly took away all the mobile phones and money from the passengers.

Those who refused to part with their mobile phones were beaten up and their mobile phones were snatched away, the passengers said.

The NSCN-IM cadres allegedly threatened the drivers to stop plying along Indo-Myanmar road.

They told the drivers and the passengers that "since you people are blocking the essential commodities from being taken to Chandel, we will also block transportation of essential commodities from Moreh to Imphal" .

The passengers complained that they reported the incident to Assam Rifles and Pallel Police Station.

However, none of the security forces helped the passengers and tried to recover the goods from the NSCN-IM cadres.