Dibrugarh: Golaghat police on Friday seized three pistols, a modified AK-47 rifle and live ammunition during a search of the residence of former Ulfa-I militant Palash Jyoti Baruah at No. 2 Saraimari village in Merapani area of Golaghat district.In addition to the firearms and ammunition, police recovered a vehicle and a motorcycle from the premises.Police said Baruah, who surrendered in 2009 after being associated with the banned Ulfa-I, is currently absconding.Golaghat SSP Swapnaneel Deka said the search was conducted after police received specific information about the house.“We received specific intelligence input. Based on that information, a team led by our additional SP (headquarters), Bibhas Das, searched the house. From there, we recovered three pistols, a modified AK-47, some live ammunition, a vehicle, and a motorcycle,” Deka said.He added that police teams are making efforts to trace and apprehend Baruah.“This house belongs to a youth named Palash Jyoti Baruah. He is currently absconding, and our team is working actively to apprehend him. The seizure process is currently underway, and a team has been deployed to search for him,” the SSP said.Police are also probing the source of the seized weapons and the circumstances in which they were kept at the residence. Investigators suspect, but have not confirmed, that Baruah may have been involved in smuggling arms from Nagaland and supplying them to buyers in Assam.The seizure is significant as Golaghat district shares an interstate border with Nagaland, making the movement of people and contraband across the boundary a concern for law enforcement agencies.
