Members of kidnapping gang arrested

TURA, JULY 18:  Five members of a gang that is suspected to   behind spate of kidnappings in Garo hills were arrested from Dobasipara locality in Tura on Friday giving the police lead to investigate into the various killings and abductions.

“We strongly suspect that the gang members were involved  in abductions and killings, which took place at Tura and Ampati”, West Garo hills SP Mukesh Singh said.

The five members — Elarin Sangma, Jespar Sangma, Jangjang Marak,  Tesrang Sangma and Sukhar Marak  and all of them are in their late 20s.

“Jespar and Jangjang have confessed that there were former cadres of the breakaway faction of A’chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC-B)”, Singh added.

The outfit was disbanded in December last year.

Police recovered a 9 mm pistol, one magazine and 3 live rounds from their possession. The investigating team is interrogating to crack different cases of abductions and killings in West and South West Garo Hills district.

In May this year, a 55-year-old cashew nut trader along with his 11-year-old grandson was abducted from Ampati. The traders hailed from neighbouring Mancachar in Assam’s Dhubri district. The traders’ body was recovered on May 31 from Dadenggre village, near Tura. The whereabouts of 11-year-old is still not known.

Last week, district sports officer of South Garo hills was abducted from Kherapara village, near Dalu, along the international India-Bangladesh border, whose whereabouts is still not known.

Police also said that the gang members are suspected to be involved in abduction along Tura – Dalu route, where more than 20 abductions took place this year. In June, two teachers were kidnapped. One of them later escaped while the other is still in the custody of militants.

The police have led several counter-insurgency operations on this route and arrested a few militants.

On June 19, six members of a gang from Chilipara village, near Dalu in the West Garo Hills, were arrested. However, the leader of the gang and a former Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) cadre Salsal Momin, is still at large. According to the police, gang leaders like Salsal hire locals to abduct traders, teachers and government employees.

On June 4, police busted a gang of abductors based on inputs provided by an arrested linkman. The police arrested five members of the gang, involved in  and extortion along the Assam-Meghalaya border villages.

The string of arrests was made possible following the arrest of Hafizur Rahman, a linkman of the gang and a resident of South Salmara in Assam, from South West Garo Hills.

In July last year, a 46-year-old man from Mancachar was killed. Several arrests were made in connection with the case. However, police are yet to find the culprits. In connection with the killing, at least 24 ANVC-B cadres were arrested and later released.– From Our Correspondent