Former police cook GNLA spotter : Police

TURA, SEPT 25:Meghalaya police on Friday claimed that the GNLA is recruiting criminal belonging to a minority community from neighbouring Assam to work as spotter(s) who passes information to the GNLA and other militant outfits about traders who they then kidnap for ransom.

North Garo hills SP Ramesh Singh released a photo of one Ali saying that he  is a former police cook and has been recruited by the GNLA to act as spotter and pass on the information of innocent traders to the GNLA and other criminal gangs involved in abduction.

Singh informed that many spotters from this particular minority community are working in close coordination with rebel outfit and said these spotter lure businessman from Mancachar and Goalpara to trade in Garo hills and develops good rapport with them.

Singh said, “The traders disclose their business plan and travel to Garo hills and the spotters relay the information to the rebel outfits, which leads to their abduction. Most traders from Assam frequent Garo hills to trade in bamboo, ginger, timber, bettle-nut, etc.

Singh also informed that once the family member of the abducted traders pays the ransom, the spotters in the rebel outfit collects their share.

Inspector General of Police (Operations), GHP Raju added, “The family of the abducted traders seldom reports to the police, which embolden these criminals to perpetrate their kidnappings unabated”.

Raju informed that had Ali ran away with one SLR from the police camp at Thapa Darengchi in North Garo Hills last year. Ali was working as cook in the police camp. “We later got leads that he has joined GNLA. He is a hardcore criminal”, he added.

Raju also informed that currently three businessman from neighbouring Assam’s Goalpara is still under the captive of GNLA. “Family members of the traders have refused to meet police or come forward to lodge a complaint”, he said.

Police said Ali is working in close association with GNLA’s commander Philiport.

When asked, why the outfit has recruited non-Garos, Raju said, “They are very useful for the outfit as they can lure members of a particular community. They also help the outfit in procuring arms and ammunition from Assam”.

Raju said, “GNLA is a bunch of thugs and criminals. They need other criminals to perpetrate their crimes.”

In the last six months, more than 20 people from Mancachar and its adjoining area have been abducted and some even killed in Garo hills. There have been several protests in Mancachar seeking government intervention to neutralize insurgency in Garo hills.

In June, one Hafizur Rahman, a resident of South Salmara from Assam was arrested in South West Garo hills for his links with rebel outfit. He was involved with a gang operating along South West Garo hills and Mancachar area involved in abduction.

Police had said that Rahman befriended with the traders from Assam and would tip off the outfit about their movements. There have been several cases of abduction, where police have claimed that member of a minority community has been aiding rebels.-From Our Correspondent