Five hardcore senior ULFA-I cadres were apprehended in Charaideo district of upper Assam on Wednesday night.
A huge cache of arms and ammunition were also seized from them.
Based on general information about movement of ULFA-I cadres along Assam-Arunachal-Nagaland border areas, counter-insurgency operations were intensified in Charaideo district along with the fight against coronavirus and special relief works undertaken.
On Wednesday afternoon, specific information was received that five suspicious persons were holed up in the house of one Bhuvan Gogoi of Tairai Village in Satianaguri area under Sapekhati police station.
Based on this input, led by Charaideo superintendent of police, Anand Mishra, a joint operation was launched by Charaideo district police and Army unit from Sapekhati COB of 244 Fd Rgt which was led by its CO.
The village was completely cordoned by late evening and a raid was conducted wherein the following five hardcore cadres of ULFA (I) have been apprehended from the house of Bhuvan Gogoi.
The names of the apprrehended ULFA-I cadres are: SS Sgt Maj Apurba Gogoi @ Arohan Asom , SS Sgt Maj Simanta Gogoi @ Maina, SS Sgt Maj Biraj Asom @ Yogen Gogoi, SS Pvt Lakshyajit Gogoi @ Dhrubo Asom, SS Pvt Sidhartha Gogoi @ Chinmoy Asom.
According to sources, Arohan Asom and Maina are from among the most notorious and most wanted cadres of ULFA-I.
According to police, Maina is a known IED expert.
Both of them have been wanted in a series of cases in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts since 2012.
Other than numerous kidnapping, murders and extortion cases, they were involved in sensational cases of firing upon Kanubari Tea Factory, firing upon Sapekhati Petrol Pump, kidnapping of Timon Habi Tea Estate manager and the latest being the Republic Day bomb blast in Teok Ghat area under Sonari police station.
They were unarmed when apprehended.
On their lead, the cache of arms, ammunition and other items buried underground were recovered on early Thursday morning, from around 200 mtrs away from the house where they were hiding.
The recovered items are – three MQ 81 Assault rifles, eight number of MQ 81 magazines, 323 number of MQ 81 ammunition, one 7.65 mm pistol (Russian made) with magazine, one 0.22 mm (factory made) with magazine, two 0.22 Ammunition, two 7.65 mm ammunition, two kg approx gelatin like explosive material, seven pieces of three meters Cordex, 16 number detonators and ULFA-I uniforms and many other daily use items, medicines including pouches etc.
Charaideo SP Anand Mishra said legal necessary action will be taken against six persons including five ULFA-I cadres and the over ground worker in whose house they were hiding.
Their presence in the district became a serious threat in view of the scheduled visit of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to Charaideo district on Thursday.
Mishra said all the nabbed insurgents have been sanitized and are being put to medical scanning and COVID-19 tests too.
The SP said their capture should be a big blow to the presence and activities of ULFA-I in this area and with this operation, Charaideo Police has intensified their ‘sanitization drive’ against insurgency in the area.