Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 31, 2010:
Troops of 29 Assam Rifles have reportedly apprehended a UNLF cadre from a Chandel district area while personnel of 5 AR under the Red Shield Division busted a drug smuggling ring along with recovery of 30 gms of heroin and 425 kgs of ganja.
A PRO IGAR (S) release issued today said the UNLF cadre namely Y Aboy Meitei alias Pratap (22) s/o Sanatomba Meitei of Nongpok Ingkhol was apprehended when the AR troops checked occupants of a Tata Sumo in Sita Road Junction on March 30 at around 4.30 pm.
Listing a wallet containing Rs 440, driving license, diary and an extortion note as items recovered from Aboy's possession, the release said the captive disclosed of being a UNLF cadre who stayed at Thou-bal area for a month and was involved in extortion activities.
Aboy along with the recovered items has been handed over to Imphal West police station, it added.
A separate statement of PIB (DW) said the contraband items including heroin worth Rs 3 lakh and ganja of about Rs 4 lakh value were recovered after arrest of five peddlers by troops of 5 AR in two operations conducted in the last two days.
The operations were carried out in Silchar area of Cachar district in Assam and Jiribam sub-division of Imphal East district.The contraband items were being transported to Shillong, West Bengal and Bihar with sources indicating that two of the five apprehended persons were key players in smuggling ganja from the North East to rest of India, the PIB statement maintained.
Claiming that pro-active operations undertaken by units of Red Shield Division had dealt a severe blow to smuggling networks in Cachar and Jiribam areas, the release also recounted earlier sei- zures of over 2300 kgs of ga-nja and 60 gms heroin along with arrest of 15 peddlers.
On the other hand, Troops of 5 Assam Rifles have arrested one hard core cadre of PLA during frisking operation conducted at Jiri Market on March 29 afternoon, reports our Jiribam correspondent.
The arrested cadre has been identified as Mutum Yaiphatomba Meitei (25) s/o Manihar of Champanagar, Jiribam.
A Bajaj Pulser motorbike bearing registration number AS-11B/3348 and a mobile handset have been recovered from the arrested PLA cadre who was handed over to the custody of Jiri Police yesterday.