Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 25
The Nagaland Police have arrested six individuals allegedly for illegal transportation of ammunition from the Arms and Ammunition branch of the Police Central store.
“It all started on July 9, we got information that there was going to be a transaction of illegal arms and ammunition so accordingly we laid an ambush in different locations on the National Highway (29),” the Commissioner of Police Dimapur, Kevithuto Sophie was quoted as saying in a news report.
Accordingly, on July 10 evening a car was intercepted in 6th Mile area Chümoukedima and upon inspection, large quantities of ammunition were found concealed in rice bags, he told Global Window on July 25, a digital news platform. Two persons were arrested during the process.
Upon interrogation, the suspects revealed that they had picked up the consignments from the house of a woman, the wife of a deceased NSCN-IM functionary. The woman however confessed that the consignments were picked up from one deputy kilonser of the NSCN-IM.
The deputy kilonser told the police that the consignments were arranged and brought by one Lanu Pongen. He initially told the police that a rhino poacher from Assam had transported the consignments, but he later admitted that he had bought them from one Armed branch Inspector named Michael Yanthan of the Police department.
Yanthan is the in-charge of the Arms and Ammunition branch of the Police Central store. He was reportedly paid by Pongen a sum of Rs 4.25 lakh to purchase around 1500 rounds of SLR ammunition (7.62 mm) and 1000 rounds of 5.56 mm calibre bullets.
A Special Investigation Team has been formed to further probe the matter.
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