Imphal, Oct 29 2024-
Manipur Police have arrested nine cadres of two militant outfits from Thoubal and Imphal West districts for forceful collection of money from people and traders besides threatening the residents, the police said on Tuesday.
A police officer said that eight hardcore cadres of the United National Liberation Front (Pambei) outfit from Thoubal District on Monday night were arrested as they were indulging in illegal activities by threatening them with sophisticated arms and restraining the legal land demarcation process in the district.
Several sophisticated arms and ammunition were recovered from the possession of the UNLF (P) militants, aged between 24 and 46.
The arms and ammunition recovered from the UNLF (P) ultras include, three AK 47 Rifles, two AK 56 Rifles, one M-16 Rifle, one 9 mm Pistol, 147 AK 47 live round ammunition, 20 M-16 live round ammunition, 25 number of 9 mm live round ammunition, 16 mobile handsets and one SUV without registration number.
The UNLF (P), founded in 1964, despite signing a ceasefire agreement with the government, the outfit’s members are increasingly involved in various illegal activities.
After the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May last year, over 4,000 arms and lakhs of ammunition were looted from the security posts and police stations by mobs, various organisations including UNLF (P).
Manipur Police also arrested a hard core cadre of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from Keishamthong in Imphal West district.
The PLA militant was identified as Moirangthem Maniton Singh (29).
The PLA cadre confessed to the police interrogators that he was involved in extortion activities in the Imphal area.
Manipur Director General of Police Rajiv Singh earlier said that arms and ammunition kept by a section of people must be returned to the authorities and dialogue between the warring communities would facilitate restoration of peace and normalcy in the state.
The DGP had said that “reduction of weaponisation of the society” would greatly help to normalise the situation and restore peace.
He had said that arms and ammunition which are still there in the society should return to the security forces, from where they were taken away or looted.
“Manipur Police and other Central forces are working round the clock to recover the arms and ammunition that were looted from the police and other security forces after the ethnic violence started in the state in May last year,” Singh had told the media. (Agency)
