Three militants held with explosives, say police

IMPHAL, March 2: A combined team of Imphal East Comndoes  and personnel  40 AR arrested 3 underground cadres along with explosive in a cordon and search operation in the intervening night of yesterday and today. The three were paraded in front of media persons along with the recovered explosive device today evening at the Imphal East police complex.

Speaking to the media, M Rajen Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police Imphal East said that after getting specific and reliable information around midnight, a team of Imphal East police comandos led by the Officer in charge, P Achouba and a column of 40 Assam Riffles posted at Andro conducted a cordon and search operation at Bashikhong Kongba Irong under Imphal East district and arrested a cadre of PREPAK along with one Chinese hang grenade which was hidden near a mango tree in compound of the residence of the arrested person.

The arrested person is identified as Ningombam Inao Singh (32) son of (L) Naba Singh of Bashikhong Khong Irong. The Additional SP added that he was earlier arrested by the police last year as a KCP (Kokai) cadre along with a 9mm Pistol and 3 live rounds.

He further said that on further investigation, Inao disclosed information of two other cadres following which, the   combined team rushed to the spot and arrested the two along with one Chinese hand grenade, three Plastic explosives Kriki (PEK) marked as “Charge demolition-M112”, one remote control device along with battery,  six detonators with wire, two circuits and two mobile phones from the possession of the two on the same night.

The two arrested persons have been  identified as Ngangbam Mangal Meetei alias Ibungo (29) son of (L) Matai Awang Leikai presently residing at Sangakpham Bazaar and Ngangbam Inaocha singh (38) son of Ibotombi of Matai Awang Leikai under Heigang police station Imphal East. The two revealed that the explosives devices were handed to them by one senior Cadre of PREPAK, Dinesh from Tekcham who is now presently in Myanmar. The explosive and other material reached Inao through one unknown person some 4/ 5 days back, he said.