Itanagar: One Wangkhu Wangsa, a self-styled sergeant major of the NSCN (K-YA) involved in the ambush of a Assam Rifles convoy in Arunachal Pradesh’s Longding district in 2016 was arrested by the security forces and police from Tirap district on Wednesday.
Tirap superintendent of police Kardak Riba said Wangsa was arrested following a joint operation conducted by the Assam Rifles and local police between the Dadam and Muktwa villages in Tirap district on Wednesday night.
“On Wednesday morning we received information from our sources that Wangsa was coming to Muktwa village to extort money from the locals. We accordingly informed the Assam Rifles and carried out a search operation after which we managed to arrest him at around 11.15 pm,” Riba said while adding that there was one more accomplice with Wangsa who managed to flee from the spot.
The SP said on further interrogation and correspondence with other police stations it was ascertained that he was wanted by the Longding police in the 2016 ambush case.
Two soldiers of the 16 Assam Rifles including a junior commissioned officer were killed while eight others were injured in the ambush that took place near the Nginu village in Longding district on December 03, 2016.
The Assam Rifles column was returning from a routine patrol when they came under heavy fire from the insurgents.
“Wangsa was wanted by the Tirap police for extortion cases and a case under section 384 of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 10/23 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been registered against him for now at the Dadam police station. As the case at the Longding police station is of more significance he will be handed over to the Longding police soon,” SP Riba said.
Wangsa, a native of Kaimoi village in Longding district has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody for now.
