Agartala, Aug 9 (IANS): Two members of a Manipur-based separatist outfit have been arrested with a huge quantity of electronic goods in Tripura, police said here Tuesday even as the security forces are on maximum alert across the northeast to thwart possible rebel strikes ahead of India's Independence Day Aug 15.
Tripura police have informed their Manipur counterparts about the detention of the two Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) rebels.
"Acting on a tip-off, senior police and Assam Rifles officials arrested the two KCP militants from a rented house at Jogendra Nagar on the outskirts of Agartala Monday night," deputy inspector general of police Nepal Das told IANS.
The security forces have recovered 13 mobile sets, two laptops, one high powered digital camera, nine mobile sim cards, Indian currency and incriminating documents from them.
Senior Tripura police and central intelligence officials have been interrogating the guerrillas.
"A Manipur police team would soon arrive here to interrogate them and to take them back to their state," Das added.
The union home ministry had banned six Manipur-based militant outfits as 'unlawful associations' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The KCP is one of the six groups.
"Several militant outfits of the northeastern states are using Tripura and Mizoram as corridors for their movements in between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar," a police official said.
Security forces are also alert ahead of Independence Day. Militant groups in the northeast have for years boycotted national events, including Independence Day and Republic Day. Occasionally, the extremists have organised violent incidents in protest.
"The Border Security Force (BSF) has been put on maximum alert across the Bangladesh border. Additional paramilitary troopers and state security personnel have been deployed in sensitive and important locations to thwart possible strikes by extremists," a BSF spokesman told IANS.
"Paramilitary personnel, accompanied by bomb disposal and dog squads, launched search operations at airports, hotels, bus terminals, major markets and national highways," Tripura police spokesman Nepal Das said.
The Northeast Frontier Railway has also cancelled and rescheduled all night trains through Assam and Tripura from Tuesday until Aug 17 for security reasons.