PREPAK leaders held at Manipur, Kolkata

Imphal, April 9 (UNI) Four top leaders of the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak(PREPAK) were nabbed in Imphal and Kolkata in a joint operation launched by the army, Red Shield Division, Manipur Police Commandos, Military Intelligence and the West Bengal Police, PIB(DW) today said.

Sources revealed preparations for the operation began in September last year after it came to light that the top hierarchy of PREPAK was operating from Kolkata.

Sources said the cadres had left for Kolkata with Rs 80 lakh.

Military Intelligence personnel, who were keeping a close surveillance over the suspects' houses reported that two of the suspects were moving towards NSCBI airport on April 7 last.

It was also established that they were heading for Imphal by a IC-211 flight, added PIB (DW).

After the information was passed on to Red Shield Division, which initiated the intelligence report gathering process, a joint team of the unit and Bishnupur Police Commandos laid a trap outside the Tulihal airport and arrested Y Sanjay Singh, the finance secretary of the outfit and Laishram Ibobi Singh political secretary of PREPAK, said PIB.

At the same time, the Military Intelligence continued the surveillance of the houses where the suspects were staying at Kolkata, said the statement and added that they reported that the suspects had shifted probably after learning of the arrest at Imphal.

Two of the militants were later arrested from a hotel in Kolkata and identified as Capt Leishamba alias Rakesh, fighting group commander and Lt RK Dhaneshwar Singh alias RK Defence Secy and chief of organisation committee of PREPAK.

The two cadres arrested from Imphal airport have been handed over to Bishnupur police and search operations are underway at Kolkata, the PIB(DW) said.

UNI