Shillong, Sep 5: It almost appeared to be a scene out of a local movie but it proved to be all too real when 12 bodyguards and a city businessman were detained by police near the Secretariat (also near police headquarters) today while in possession of seven airguns of different make, some of which looked like genuine assault rifles.
At around 2:30pm, three vehicles belonging to one Mebanshem Snaitang of Pohkseh, Shillong, were seen parked outside the Shoppers Stop mall opposite the Secretariat. The vehicles themselves were certainly worth noticing, with one a red Audi sports car (lacking licence plates), a black Mahindra Scorpio (ML 05AF 0309) and a black Toyota Innova (T0922ML7411A).
All three vehicles had tinted glass and one of them was fitted with a siren.
Inside the vehicles were 12 men dressed in black fatigues who are believed to be Snaitang’s bodyguards. If that was not bad enough, a search of the vehicles revealed five air rifles, two air pistols, six magazine pouches, two laptops, five walkie-talkie devices and Assam licence plates.
Police said a case is being registered for impersonation of law enforcement personnel, intimidation and violations under the Arms Act.
“Further investigation will be carried out to ascertain if they are involved in any other criminal acts,” East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said.
