A team of district commando, Kakching have arrested five persons from Wangoo on Friday in connection with the IED explosion where two Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBF) personnel were injured on election duty.
The IED explosion occurred along the Imphal-Sugnu road in Wangoo area when the ITBP were on routine patrol duty at about 9:00 PM of February 20.
The arrested persons have been identified as Okram Manitomba alias Ango Meitei, 20, resident of Wangoo Mamang Sabal Nurathel Leikai; Soroikhambam Goroba Singh alias Ngangba, 19, resident of Pangantabi Makha Leikai; Soroikhambam Arbin Singh, 26; Thongam Singhajit Meitei, 20 and Irengbam Gitchandra, 53, all three from Wangoo Mamang Sabal, Kakching district.
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Police said Kakching district police had been undertaking several efforts to detect the conspiracy and the culprits behind the crime. During the course of investigation and based on a credible output an operation was conducted by a team of district commando led by additional superintendent of police (Ops), Kakching district, Binoy Chongtham and officer-in-charge, commando, Kakching district, Md Abash Khan assisted by sub inspector of CDO unit, Robindro Brown in Wangoo Nurathel area at 3:00 am.
In the operation, Shingajit was arrested from Wapokpi Chingchep Leikai, Sugnu and from his disclosure the 4 others were arrested from their respective residence.
Police said the accused persons were involved in three different IED explosions which occurred on February 20 where two ITBP personnel were injured. Another two IED blasts occurred at different places of Kakching Khunou Lamkhai near Uyok bridge and Wangoo Lamkhai during the early hours of January 26.
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Police reported that Manitomba and Arbin, who were involved in the attack, had gone to Moreh in the beginning of January and received one day training in handling of IED from one PREPAK cadre under the command of one Tamocha of the same proscribed underground organisation. The accused were in touch with the same outfit from Myanmar and executed the explosions on their directives, police added.
Later, the same police team seized three detonators and three batteries for remote control device from their respective house.
Police said the accused persons disclosed that there was another plan to plant IED in March however the location was not disclosed to them.
