Tura, March 22: Fast paced developments are taking place in the fight against criminals and extortion in the Garo Hills region with two back to back incidents involving the dismantling of criminal gangs behind an abduction and extortion in the name of GNLA-Regroup name.
On a day South Garo Hills police made a successful rescue of a kidnapped construction company employee from a gang that demanded 50 lakh ransom and arrest of two ring leaders, another criminal gang using a militant name was also busted in neighbouring East Garo Hills.
Unidentified men claiming to represent a new Garo National Liberation Army- Regroup outfit had used threats to demand money from some citizens of Rongjeng in East Garo Hills to take their “cause” forward.
Only recently, the prime accused who created the facebook page of GNLA-R was arrested from Garo Hills and he had confessed to using that name to extort money.
Taking advantage of the same name, calls demanding money began coming in to one of the victims in Rongjeng from the 18th of March through an unknown number with a threat of attack if the demand went unheeded.
Undaunted by the threat of violence, the victim approached Rongjeng police station on the 18th and gave a written FIR.
East Garo Hills police began investigation and soon identified one of the callers.
The extortion money was to change hands yesterday, March 21st, inside Rongjeng reserve forest when police laid a trap and apprehended Predickson N Sangma aka Ara (32 years) of Ambre A’ding, Rongjeng, as he arrived to collect the demanded amount.
Soon after, another member of the group, identified as Setbingstar D Shira aka Negro (33 years) belonging to Nongchram Dekmim village was arrested from Rongjeng Songma area.
East Garo Hills Superintendent of Police A S Rynjah told this scribe that operations are continuing to apprehend other members of the group.
“We are looking at all angles of the group’s involvement including militancy,” said SP Rynjah.
The district police chief has urged the general public to come forward and share any information relating to extortion demands and threats with the nearest police station so that swift action can be taken to nip such criminal activities in the bud.
The identify of the informant will also be kept secret and a suitable reward would also be given, assured the police.
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