Agartala : Three hardcore militants, including a woman, belonging to an insurgent group with bases in Bangladesh were arrested with Rs.25 lakh cash and some electronic gadgets in Tripura, police said Monday. "The militants belonging to the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) were arrested.
They were carrying money and electronic devices to pass on to their co-cadres in Bangladesh to procure arms and ammunition," a police spokesman told reporters here. He said: "Acting on a tip off, police led by Inspector Paluram Das arrested the NLFT extremists Sunday night from a house at Jirania (in western Tripura) on the outskirts of the capital city.
An amount of Rs.25,00,000 in cash, electronic apparatus and subscription receipts of NLFT were recovered from them." The militants were presented in a local court which has sent them to seven days police remand. Police, quoting intelligence reports, said that ahead of the assembly elections, due in February 2013, the militants have been trying to increase their cadre strength by recruiting new people and acquiring arms and ammunition.
Intelligence report said some 27 former militants of the state who had surrendered to the authority earlier are now missing. Police suspect that they have rejoined their outfits and as the Tripura assembly polls come closer, militant activity in the state may again revive.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in a recent internal security meeting in New Delhi had said that though militancy had by and large been controlled in the bordering state there still are reports that NLFT militants are attempting to strike at security forces, establishments, developmental agencies and people.
"The militant outfits, who have their base camps in Bangladesh, are trying to recruit new cadres aiming the coming assembly polls," Sarkar said.
NLFT and the All Tripura Tiger Force, both banned by India, have set up their bases in Bangladesh and get support from other separatist outfits of the northeast. They have been demanding secession of Tripura from India.
Tripura shares an 856-km border with Bangladesh.