Shillong, July 28: The BSF apprehended an Ulfa cadre, who had masterminded a jailbreak, in West Garo Hills in the wee hours today.

Columbus Marak, 27, arrested by West Garo Hills police for carrying out criminal activities, including extortion, in Garo hills in February 2008, escaped from Tura Jail with three others the next month after beating up the warden.

After the guard fell unconscious from the beating, the gang took the key from him and opened the gate of the prison to walk free.

Columbus, a member of the 109 battalion of Ulfa, had been at large since then and was on the wanted list of Meghalaya police.

The BSF said acting on a tip-off around 2.30am today, the troops deployed in West Garo Hills apprehended Columbus from Hathimara, 350km from here.

The militant, from Dalu in West Garo Hills, was apprehended while he was trying to infiltrate into Indian territory.

According to the BSF, Colombus had undergone training in Bhutan in 2003 before he was sent to operate in Garo hills where he was engaged in largescale extortion.

He would also target people for extortion along the Assam-Meghalaya border.

Last year on October 24, a homeguard foiled a jailbreak attempt in West Garo Hills district by firing at a gang of undertrials in Tura Jail, injuring one as another made a suicide bid to evade arrest. The 13 undertrial prisoners, however, were not as lucky as the gang of seven led by Full Moon Dhar that pulled off a sensational escape from Shillong Jail on May 31.

In a separate incident around 3.30am today, the BSF at Mahendraganj border outpost in West Garo Hills arrested Ulfa linkman, Golzim A. Sangma, 19, of Chibongre village in the West Garo Hills.