SHILLONG, March 12: Meghalaya police on Tuesday claimed to have busted a sleeper cell of the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) by arresting four persons in Ri-Bhoi district.
The police also seized an IED from their possession.
Police suspect that the four persons were involved in planting and detonating an IED at the disputed Punjabi Lane area of the city on March 9 in which one person was injured.
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Ri-Bhoi district SP Jagpal Dhanoa Singh told PTI “Meghalaya Police was able to foil the bid of proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) to explode another IED after the arrest of the four persons in Ri-Bhoi district”.
The arrest was made on Monday at around 6 pm when a live IED packed with shrapnels and gelatin sticks was found inside a pickup truck driven by Damanbha Ripnar.
Ripnar was detained at the Umsning-Mawhati road and on his voluntary leading, one IED was recovered from his vehicle by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), the SP said.
With the arrest of Ripnar, three other persons were arrested in the district from Umsning and Nongpoh town. The four are active members of a sleeper cell of the proscribed HNLC.
The SP said this sleeper cell was taking directions from Bangladesh-based proscribed HNLC fugitives.
The arrested were identified as Damanbha Ripnar alias Shall Lapang, Robinis Ripnar, Jill Tariang and Shining Nongrum and from their possession 15 gelatin sticks, 167 splinters (shrapnel inside the IED), a safety fuse wire and three non-electric detonators, five mobile phones and the pick-up truck.
Police have registered a case in this regard at the Nongpoh Police Station. (PTI)
