Imphal, July 28 — Security forces have arrested six hardcore militants belonging to different banned insurgent outfits, recovered a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives, and apprehended a drug peddler during separate operations conducted across different districts of Manipur in the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.
A senior police official said that the six militants were arrested from Imphal West, Imphal East, Tengnoupal, and Kakching districts during intelligence-based operations carried out jointly by the police and other security agencies.
The arrested militants belong to the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the People's Liberation Army (PLA), its political wing, the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), and the Socialist Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (SOREPA). According to the police, they were allegedly involved in a range of criminal activities, including kidnapping and the forcible collection of "subscriptions", a euphemism commonly used for extortion by insurgent groups.
In a separate anti-narcotics operation, the Manipur Police arrested an alleged drug peddler, identified as Letmintgang Haolai, 33, from the Tuibong area of Churachandpur district. Police seized 2.5 kg of brown sugar, valued around Rs 5 crore in the international illicit market, along with a two-wheeler used by the accused.
The hilly Churachandpur district shares an inter-state border with Mizoram and also has an unfenced international border with Myanmar. Police suspect that the seized narcotics were smuggled into the state from across the Myanmar border.
According to the police official, security forces also recovered a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives in separate search operations conducted in vulnerable areas of Imphal East, Bishnupur, and other districts.
The recovered arsenal included five Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), five INSAS rifles of different variants, four AK-series rifles, six .303 rifles, 10 single-barrel guns, four double-barrel guns, one country-made sniper rifle, three pistols, a locally made 'Pompi' gun, a 12-bore rifle, several improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a large quantities of live cartridges and a few wireless communication sets.
Meanwhile, the security forces, comprising personnel from both Central and state agencies, have continued their intensified counter-insurgency operations across Manipur.
Extensive search operations and area domination exercises are being carried out in fringe areas, mixed-population localities and other vulnerable locations to flush out militants and maintain law and order.
As part of the enhanced security measures, a total of 111 nakas and checkpoints have been established across the valley and hill districts to monitor the movement of militants, anti-social elements and suspicious vehicles. The security forces have also been providing armed escorts to vehicles, including trucks carrying essential commodities, along the strategically important Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37), to ensure the uninterrupted movement of supplies.