DIMAPUR, July 26 (PTI): An inspector of Nagaland police and five others, including a woman have been arrested for trying to sell ammunition from the central store of the force here, an official said.
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The main accused has been found to be the police inspector Michael Yanthan and he has confessed to his crime in the stealing and selling of the ammunition, the Dimapur commissioner of police, Kevithuto Sophie said.
It is, however, yet to be known to whom the ammunition was being sold, he said.
The police operation against the stealing of ammunition started on July 9 after it was detected during stock verification.
The police put up checkpoints in different locations on NH 29 but drew a blank on the first day. On July 10 the police intercepted a car in the 6th Mile area in Chumoukedima and upon inspection large quantities of ammunition were found concealed in three rice bags, Sophie said.
Two persons were arrested and during interrogation they confessed that the consignments were collected from the house of the widow of a dead NSCN(IM) functionary, he said.
The woman too was arrested and she confessed that the consignments were picked from one of a self stylised deputy kilonser (minister) of the Naga separatist group, he said.
On being intensively interrogated, the deputy kilonser told the police that he had bought the ammunition from an Yanthan, an in-charge of the arms and ammunition branch of the police central store. The NSCN leader was then arrested.
Yanthan accepted responsibility for stealing and selling ammunition. He confessed that he was paid Rs 4.25 lakh by one person to purchase about 1500 rounds of SLR ammunition and 1000 rounds of 5.56 mm calibre bullets of INSAS rifles, Sophie said.
Another person was subsequently arrested, he said.
The special investigation team has been formed to probe the matter and net others involved in it, the police commissioner added.
