GUWAHATI, Jan 1: Militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) today suffered a major setback as the vice-chairman of the outfit Dhiren Boro alias Sungtha was arrested by Sikkim Police in Gangtok. Dhiren Boro is the second senior leader of the NDFB to be arrested within a month as only last month the general secretary of the outfit Govinda Basumatary was arrested in Rangiya when he was on his way to North Bengal from Dimabur. Highly placed police sources in North Bengal told The Assam Tribune this evening that Dhiren Boro was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) from a rented house in Sikkim. He was staying in Gangtok for the past one year. Some important documents relating to the activities of the NDFB and some explosives were recovered from his possession. Sources also said that during quetining by the police Dhiren Boro revealed some details about the links of the outfit in Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (Special Branch) Sri K Sarma told this correspondent that the arrest of the NDFB vice chairman, within a month from the arrest of the general secretary of the outfit, was a major blow to the NDFB. He revealed that Dhiren Boro had been an active member of the NDFB since the formation of the outfit. At that time, the NDFB was known as the Boro Security Force at that time. The NDFB vice chairman was earlier arrested in the early 1990s, but he was subsequently released on bail. Sri Sarma said that a police team from the State would soon leave for Gangtok to question Boro. The arrested militant is likely to be brought to the State as he is wanted in connection with several cases in Assam, Sri Sarma added.
Meanwhile, the NDFB is transporting huge amounts of money from the camps in Bhutan to Bangladesh. This fact came to light after the arrest of corporal Organg of the NDFB in Sapra forest area in the Jalpaiguri area of North-Bengal yesterday. Police sources said that West Bengal police recovered Rs 12 lakh in cash, one AK-47 rife, 114 rounds of ammunition, one wireless set and some documents relating to the activities of the outfit were recovered from him. Sources revealed that during interrogation, the arrested militant admitted before the police that he was taking the money from the second Battalion headquarter of the NDFB based at Kalikhola in Bhutan to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. The money might be taken to Bangladesh for procurement of weapons but the possibility of the outfit using the money for strengthening its base in Bangladesh also can not be ruled out, sources added. After the recent arrest of NDFB general secretary Govinda Basumatary, police came to know about the outfit’s plan to open a third battalion based in Bangladesh and transportation of money to Bangladesh from Bhutan confirmed the report.