Tura, March 14: Meghalaya police today apprehended a militant, Sengman Ch. Marak, alias Miksal alias Bacheng, aged 23, in a joint operation by East and North Garo Hills police, special force commandos, 5th MLP Battalion and Alpha-67 CRPF commandos from Alda Cheran village near Songsak in East Garo Hills.

A sophisticated weapon with ammunition, which allegedly belonged to William A. Sangma, a rebel who had escaped from Mendipathar police station in 2014, was recovered from his possession.

"William is involved in extortions, abduction, kidnapping, murder and rape in Assam and Meghalaya in the last six years and most wanted by the police," Dalton Marak, the superintendent of police, North Garo Hills, said.

A statement said one of William's aides, Rohit M. Sangma alias Gettingson Sangma of Karbi Anglong, Assam, was arrested after an encounter during police checking at Thapa Darenchi village in North Garo Hills on March 3. "Rohit said William was in the process of floating a new outfit, named A'chik Revolutionary Army (ARA) and a few cadres had undergone training under him," Marak said.

The superintendent of police said William had hatched the idea of a new outfit while he was lodged in Shillong jail with the chairman of the Garo National Liberation Army, Champion Sangma, in 2014.

Earlier, William had floated the A'chik National Cooperative Army and was arrested from Tamil Nadu in 2014.

The police also said William had a meeting with slain former commander-in-chief of United A'chik Liberation Army Norok X. Momin, who was recently killed in an operation in North Garo Hills.