ULFA's explosives seized near Indo-Bhutan border

Guwahati, Apr 8 (UNI) A major explosive consignment, allegedly for the outlawed ULFA and its allies, was seized from the Bhutan bus depot in Rangiya, about 50 km from here' by a joint team of the Assam Police and CRPF today.

DIG (CWR) GP Singh informed that the explosives were recovered from an auto rickshaw. It contained 30 grenades, 30 detonators kept in six container and two bags.

''The driver and a person from whose bag the recovery was made were arrested and interrogation was on to determine whether they were militants or acted as link-men,'' Mr Singh added.

Kamrup (rural) SP Debojit Hazarika said explosives were loaded at Darangamela, at the Indian side along the Indo-Bhutan border, and police were investigating from where the explosives were brought.

''The consignment was for the ULFA and its allied organisations, mainly the All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), the latter being a new outfit that is developing linkages with the ULFA in certain pockets,'' the DIG (CWR) said.

He did not rule out the probability of the explosives being brought from the Bhutan side, and added that ULFA was active in the region, with its top leader Hira Sarania and associates sheltered in the foothills bordering Bhutan.

He added the explosives were possibly for ULFA's '27th battalion' which was active in the northern banks.

On the Bhutan operation to flush out ULFA camps in 2003, Mr Singh said it was much old now and the outfit might have re-grouped in the area, with the security forces acting together to confirm it and the Bhutan police would also be approached if the need arises.

He said security vigil had been tightened in the area in view of rising ULFA movement and major successes in nabbing ULFA cadres, link-men and seizing explosives had been achieved in recent weeks.

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