Five activists of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) were apprehended by the Assam Rifles in Mizoram on Saturday and arms and ammunition were recovered from them. This is the first time in four years that the outfit’s cadre have been apprehended, an Assam Rifles official said.
The recoveries include one 9mm pistol magazine, one 9mm revolver, four grenades and 55 rounds of 9mm ammunition, the Assam Rifles said. The operation was carried out by a joint team of the Lunglei Battalion of 23 Sector Assam Rifles and the Mizoram police based on specific information.
An Assam Rifles official said there have been previous inputs of the ALP cadre establishing medical camps in the nearby village of Kakichua and distributing COVID-19 essential items to locals as part of their propaganda. “However, it has come to light that the medical camp was just a temporary base for their larger intent. Some of the ALP cadres were indulging in extortion by promising Rakhine nationalism and exploiting their fear for it and the Arakan Army.
“It has also come to light that they have demanded about ₹3 lakh from the village head. Realising the intensity of the situation, the local sources informed about it to the Assam Rifles.”
Real time information and swift action of security forces resulted in the apprehension of the cadre who were hiding on the outskirts of the village and were later handed over to the Lawngtlai police station, the Assam Rifles said.
