A 'sleeper cell' of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) was on Tuesday busted even as three including a senior cadre of the outfit were arrested for serving multiple demand notes and threatened several individuals to pay the extortion amount or to face the dire consequences.
The three have been identified as Cyfrank Paul Pariat (25), who was heading the sleeper cell as senior cadre of HNLC, Kitbok Mujai (23) and Barnabas Lyngdoh (49), Ri Bhoi SP Jagpal Singh Dhanoa said in a statement.
He said in the light of recent serving of extortion/demand notes to several individuals, the Ri Bhoi police has managed to bust a sleeper cell of the banned HNLC operating in Mawhati-Umroi of Ri Bhoi district and Shillong.
The 'sleeper cell' of HNLC was headed by the senior HNLC cadre Cyfrank Paul Pariat of Ummat village. He alongside his members served multiple demand notes on behalf of the HNLC and threatened several individuals to pay the extortion amount or to face the dire consequences, the police officer said.
Accordingly, a joint operation was launched on June 10 by a special team of Police Headquarters and Ri Bhoi DEF and arrested the HNLC members.
"All three arrested persons were involved in recruitment, financing and propaganda for banned HNLC under UAP Act and had gone to Bangladesh last year to take training," Dhanoa further said.
In this regard, a case has been registered and further investigation is on to unearth linkages of more individuals who may be members/associates of HNLC, he said.
The SP also said, "It is a general appeal to the public to not succumb to illegal demands of HNLC and bring any illegal contact or demand into notice of police."
