IMPHAL, October 18: Police today arrested two persons alongwith an IED laden Maruti van. Police said preliminary investigation reveals PREPAK (PRO) involvement in the case. Police informed that the arrest of one of the two from Lilong led to the arrest of the second along with the explosives from Kongba this noon.
Police identified the arrested persons as Md Rajak, 40, son of (L) Md Sanouwar Ali of Lilong Bazaar and Hidangmayum Dhananjoy, 37, son of H Kalachandra of Kongba Laishram Leikai.
The two along with the bomb fitted van were paraded before media persons today at the Imphal Police station this late evening.
Briefing media persons regarding the arrest and the recovery of the explosives, SP Imphal West, L Jayenta said acting on specific information regarding the presence of some underground elements are trying to disturb the police rising day celebration tomorrow, a combined team of Imphal West, Imphal East and Thoubal districts commandos jointly raided the house of one Md Rajak at Lilong Bazaar.
The team recovered eight detonators and one remote control device during the raid, the police officer said.
As a follow up action, the team further raided the house of one Hidangmayum Dhananjoy of Kongba Laishram Leikai where they recovered one Maruti Eeco van bearing registration number AS01-AZ-2653 fitted with two powerful IED bombs in the back seat, he further said.
Preliminary investigation of the two arrested persons revealed that the IEDs fitted van was to be exploded at a high security zone in Imphal. The two further revealed that the banned UG organization PREPAK (PRO) is directly involved in the case, he continued.
The Superintendent of Police claimed that a huge disaster had been averted by the timely action of the police. Many lives could have been lost if the IEDs had exploded in a crowded place, the Police officer said.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered at Lilong Police Station regarding the incident.