TURA | Oct 14, 2019:

The Meghalaya Police on Sunday evening apprehended the elusive member of the proscribed Garo National Liberation Army (GLNA), who had been in a cat and mouse game with the police forces, from near the border village of Rongara in South Garo Hills (SGH).

The cadre identified as Nikrak M Sangma (alias Kaltush), who is a 3^rd batch militant of the GNLA, is one of the last few members of the banned outfit. He was arrested last evening while returning from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Nikrak M Sangma (alias Kaltush) joined the outfit in 2011 and had been with them since. The significant arrest comes in the wake of information of criminal and militant groups like ULFA and Bangladeshi criminals looking to regroup.

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Police sources stated that Kaltush was in hiding in Bangladesh and had been evading security forces for quite some time.

The senior GNLA cadre was caught in the late afternoon yesterday, Oct 13 by a specially constituted team of police forces.

“He was returning back to Bangladesh after entering India a few days ago, when he was apprehended today. He was moving across guised as a local villager when he was identified and arrested very close to the Bangladesh border,” confirmed superintendent of police, SGH, Abraham T Sangma.

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The GNLA suffered a deadly blow with the encounter killing of its commander in chief, Sohan D Shira early in 2018. Ever since the incident, most of the cadres of the outfit have either surrendered or scattered across, mostly in Bangladesh.

Police sources believed that Kaltush had crossed over to Bangladesh in the year 2015 after joining the outfit in 2011.

“Since his movement to Bangladesh, he was supplying the outfit with materials, including arms, camouflague uniforms and ammunition prior to the death of Sohan. We will be seeking police custody to question him further,” said Abraham.

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“While most members surrendered after the death of Sohan, Kaltush continued on in Bangladesh and was involved in anti-national activities by supporting other militant groups in activities like extortion, criminal intimidation and organized kidnapping for ransom of Indian nationals,” added the SP.

Police sources informed that Kaltush is wanted in various criminal cases in different districts, including SGH.