From Our BTC Election Desk, Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar (Assam), Mar 17 : A huge cache of arms and ammunition including explosives, grenades and a rocket launcher were recovered by a joint team of police and army in two separate incidents in Kokrajhar and Udalguri districts of Assam on Tuesday evening .
Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on Tuesday evening said the joint operation was launched by police and army in Leopani Nala and Ultapani Nala in Kokrajhar district along the India-Bhutan border following a tip-off received from reliable sources.
The arms and ammunition were hidden beneath the ground near a tree at Fire Line 07 in Ultapani Reserve Forest under Bishmuri Police Post, he said.
The weapons recovered included two AK-56 rifles, a grenade launcher (M-79), a .22 rifle, a .22 pistol, two 7.65 mm pistols; a 9 mm pistol and 14 country made rifles and pistols, the DGP said.
The joint operation team also recovered several magazines along with a satellite phone, 10 grenades, 6 Chinese grenades, 2 country made grenades, 34 electric detonators among others.
In the second incident, large quantity of explosives including grenades, detonators, arms and ammunition were recovered by another joint police and army team during a search in Assam”s Udalguri district on early Tuesday morning, police officials said.
Based on specific input, police from Udalguri district and a team from army”s 14 Garhwal regiment launched the search operation at No.1 Badagaon under Udalguri Police Station.
They recovered an AK 56 rifle with magazine and 12 live rounds of ammunition, a rocket launcher with five live rockets, 40 pieces of 36-HE grenades and 111 detonators with wire. They were concealed under sand in the midst of banana trees inside a forest.
SP Rakesh Roushan told South Asia Views that the arms and ammunition’s were recovered for the deep jungle of Ultapani in a joint search operation this evening.He said that security deployment and measures have been taken across the district for healthy conduct of the upcoming BTC council elections.
He informed that strong security vigil has been deployed along the Indo-Bhutan border as well inter- state border with West Bengal .
However,no arrests have been made in this regard,Roushan added.
In Udalguri ,police team after confirming presence of arms and ammunition’s deep inside the jungle and found the arms and ammunition’s buried underneath the spot.
Recoveries included an AK 56 riffle, 12 round live ammunition’s,a rocket launcher, five nos rocket,40 numbers of 36 HE grenade,112 detonators.
Police are taking stern measures against the anti- social activities in the district and accordingly were successful to find out the arms and ammunition’s which were kept hidden underground,said a senior police officer in Udalguri.
Following are the list of the arms and ammunition’s which were recovered during the search operation :
1. AK-56 – 02 (01 x Folded Butt and 01 x Fix Butt)
2. Grenade Launcher – 01 (M-79)
3. Country made Rifle – 11
4. .22 Pistol – 01
5. 7.65 mm Pistol – 02
6. 9 mm Pistol – 01
7. Pistol (Country made) – 03
MAGAZINES
1. AK-56 – 11
2. M-16 – 02
3. .22 – 01 (Rifle)
4. .22 – 02 (Pistol)
5. 9 mm – 10
6. 7.65 mm – 06
7. Country made – 04
AMMUNITION’S:
1. 7.62 mm – 19
2. AK-56 – 212
3. 5.56 mm – 88
4. 9 mm – 41
5. 7.65 mm – 34
6. .22 mm – 02
7. Fired cases – 07
8. Country made – 11
9. Country made Grenades – 02
ADDITIONAL :
1. Satellite Phone – 01
2. No. 36 Grenade – 10
3. Chinese Grenade – 06
4. Country made Grenade – 02
5. Fuse (No. 36 Grenade) – 08
6. Detonator Electric – 34
7. Detonator No. 27 – 02
8. Grenade for M-79 – 02
