Shillong, May 23: The Meghalaya government has sought the Centre?s assistance and support to crack down on a flourishing network connected to the smuggling of explosives and other arms, allegedly backed by Pakistan?s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The network is believed to be active in certain pockets of the state.

The appeal to Delhi came a few days after the ISI?s explosives smuggling network was unearthed in Meghalaya?s Lad Rymbai and Khliehriat areas in Jaintia Hills district.

The racket came to light following the arrest of Md. Hasifuddin from Minkrie village under Khliehriat police station on May 15. The accused is alleged to have supplied explosives to the Ulfa for carrying out the blast at Dhemaji on August 15 last year. Over 400 gelatine sticks were recovered from the possession of the accused, who is believed to be a key ISI agent and explosives expert.

He was arrested along with Ham Bhadur Thapa and was working as a contractor in the coal mines at Khliehriat. Police officials believe that most of the explosives he had stored had been ferried from across Bangladesh, the border of which is very close to the hideout.

Sources said confessions by the suspect, Hasifuddin, during interrogation have provided cogent evidence of ?a covert deal? with the Ulfa concerning uninterrupted supplies of arms and explosives.

Meghalaya home minister Mukul Sangma said Union home minister Shivraj Patil has been apprised of the incident as there are cases of suspected ISI involvement in smuggling of explosives and arms in some parts of the Garo hills.

Sangma met Patil on Wednesday to discuss ISI arms supplies to the Ulfa.

He said the Union home ministry has been requested to assist in formulating a comprehensive plan of action to prevent the ISI from making Meghalaya a base.