Three persons, hailing from Manipur, have been arrested in Assam for allegedly looting shops and a petrol pump, using firearms, in different parts of Cachar district, a senior police officer said here on Sunday.

The accused persons have been engaged in robberies in various parts of the district and arrested on Saturday, Cachar Additional Superintendent of Police Subrata Sen told reporters.

During an initial investigation, it has been found that all of them are residents of Manipur's Kangpokpi district and they have been displaced from their homes following an ethnic strife in the neighbouring state.

''They had initially taken shelter in a camp in Mizoram's Kolasib district. Later, they entered Assam and got involved in illegal activities here," Sen claimed.

Two firearms and ammunition have also been recovered from their possession, Sen said.

During the last two months, they robbed cash worth Rs 3-4 lakh and other valuable items from several shops, including wine and hardware outlets and petrol pumps, the police officer claimed.

"They have been arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," he added.

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