The police has so far recovered 24 kg of RDX, besides a major haul of arms and ammunition and counterfeit Indian currency pushed into the country from across the border, Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya told a Press conference here today.

Pandya said all the six have been detained at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Kutch. He said police were searching for one of the intruders, who managed to evade arrest.

During the operation, police also recovered the identity card of an ISI agent from Haji, Syed Sultan Shah Abdulla Shah, originally a resident of Badin village in Sindh province of Pakistan.

The arrests have foiled a major attempt by the ISI to create disturbance in the country, especially in view of the situation in Kargil, Pandya said.

Director General of Police C P Singh said the operation started on June 2 when some `Pagis' (experts at tracing footprints), hired by the BSF, noticed fresh footprints near Kateshwar river in the Great Rann of Kutch. Traditionally, `Pagis' are experts who can predict the physique of a person and the time he had crossed the desert by reading footprints.

Based on this, a police team, during their vigil near the international border, spotted a boat with a boatman. The man, who was identified as Jumman of New Karachi, revealed that he had helped a six-member team dispatched by two ISI officers to cross the border. He told police that the six, who had gone towards nearby villages, spoke in the local Kachhi dialect and were carrying packets of some powder, currency and arms with them.

Further investigation revealed that a villager of Nani Virani was supplying them with meals. The villager disclosed that the six were staying near Dunger village. A raid was planned and the intruders were arrested. The five have been identified as Sultan Shah (50), Jumma (35), both residents of New Karachi, Navaz Ali Jat (25), Osman Ali Mohammed (25) and Sacchu Baji Ibrahim Jat (25) all from Keti Bunder in Sindh province.

The intruders led the police party to their hideout where they had concealed arms and ammunition. The cops recovered 24 kg RDX in the form of 500 gm cakes, 55 China-made .030 caliber pistols with spare magazines, eight .032 calibre Brazil-made revolvers, 500 rounds of ammunition, silencers for the pistols, 10 timer pencils, one remote switch with two channels, one bundle each of yellow and green cordite wire and black safety fuse and several electrical and normal detonators. The cops also recovered fake currency notes worth Rs 8,000 from one of the intruders.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of DIG (Border range) P P Agja, DSP (Kutch) A K Singh and Dy SP Pravinsinh Mal. The operation was conducted under complete secrecy, so much so that even the Minister of State for Home was not given full details.

Reports from Bhuj add that a massive manhunt has been launched for the sixth infiltrator, Hussain Kutchhi Mandhra, who, according to sources, is the kingpin of the entire operation. He is reported to be carrying fake Indian currency worth Rs 1.8 lakh. Police have intensified security and patrolling along the border areas to prevent his escape. Sources, however, said he was hiding in the Karo Dunger area.