AR seizes 13 Urea laden trucks, 4 UGs held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 07: In probably the biggest seizure, troops of 20 Assam Rifles under 26 Sector, IG AR (S), seized 13 trucks loaded with Urea and arrested four cadres of an underground organisation who were escorting the trucks today at about 5 am from a lateral track connecting Pallel and Saivom near Molnom.

Significantly, Agriculture Minister N Loken had yesterday informed the Assembly that a certain amount of money would be ear marked in the next Budget so that farmers do not have to suffer the shortage of Urea.

The Minister had also informed the House that the new initiative is being mooted so that the farmers do not have to rely solely on the dealers.

The four UG cadres along with their arms and at the backdrop the trucks carrying Urea which were seized by the Assam Rifles

In a statement, PRO of Assam Rifles said that the 13 trucks were found carrying 1980 bags of Urea.

The four underground cadres were arrested and arms were also seized.

Though Assam Rifles did not disclose the group to which the cadres belong to, Kakching police, to whom they were handed over, said that they are cadres of the UKLF, which is a party to the Suspension of Operation agreement.

The arms seized include two AK 47 rifles with 6 magazines, one M-16 rifle with 7 magazines, nine lethode bombs, 188 rounds of AK 47 and 126 rounds of M 16 .

The Urea were being taken to Moreh from where it would be sent to Myanmar to be used in making drugs, said the PRO and added that the drugs are then routed back to Manipur.

The money earned from smuggling the Urea is used to procure arms and equipment by the militant groups, added the PRO.

The four militants along with the recovered items have been handed over Kakching police for further interrogation and disposal, said the PRO.

Following intelligence inputs that UG groups were behind smuggling various chemicals and Urea to Myanmar for making drugs, Assam Rifles had been keeping a sharp eye on NH-39 .

To avoid the check posts, the militants and drug mafia started using the side roads/lateral tracks to transport the Urea and chemicals, said the PRO.

It is not yet clear from which dealer/s the UG group had hijacked the truck carrying the Urea consignment.

There are 62 Government registered Urea dealers in Manipur.

On October 2 too, Assam Rifles personnel intercepted eight trucks carrying 870 bags of Potash at PVCP Khudengthabi and handed the same over to the Customs.

As Urea is made available to the farmers at a highly subsidised rate, it cannot be taken beyond Pallel, to prevent it from being smuggled to Myanmar where it can be sold at a high price.

In the past there have been many instances of Urea being smuggled into Myanmar and the Government had strictly banned its transportation to the border town of Moreh.

A number of prominent people, including politicians are suspected to be involved in the Urea smuggling racket.