Manipur extortion ring busted: PREPAK cadres arrested, bunkers destroyed
The arrested individuals were found in possession of three mobile handsets & 12 extortion demand letters
The suspects identified as Leishangthem Napoleon Meitei (35) and Thokchom Amujao Singh (33) were arrested on Sunday.
Imphal, Dec 29: The Manipur police arrested two active cadres of the banned insurgent outfit People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) in Imphal West District for their alleged involvement in extortion activities, including targeting elected officials and civilians.
The arrests were made on Sunday in the Sangaiprou Mamang Leikai area, with the suspects identified as Leishangthem Napoleon Meitei (35) and Thokchom Amujao Singh (33).
According to police reports, the arrested individuals were found in possession of three mobile handsets and 12 extortion demand letters.
The operation is part of the ongoing efforts by the police to clamp down on unlawful activities, including extortion by insurgent groups in the region.
In a parallel operation, security forces, including the Army, BSF, CRPF, and Manipur police, have been actively conducting searches in various parts of Manipur, uncovering a significant cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives.
On Saturday, police recovered a range of weapons from Muallam, including an INSAS Excalibur rifle with a magazine, a 9mm country-made pistol, a single-barrel rifle, and three INSAS ball rounds of ammunition.
Four illegal bunkers were destroyed, while three others were occupied by security forces.
A day prior, on Friday, a major weapons haul was made in Saivom village in Tengnoupal District, where security forces recovered two .303 rifles with magazines, a 12-bore single-barrel gun, a Pompi gun, seven IEDs (improvised explosive devices), five hand grenades, 40 detonators, and live ammunition rounds.
These recoveries are part of the ongoing operations by security forces, which have also led to the destruction of illegal bunkers used by armed insurgents in the Imphal East District.
In operations conducted in areas like Sabungkhok Khunou, Shantikhongbal, and Uyok Ching, four illegal bunkers were destroyed, while three others were occupied by security forces.
"The combined operations led to the flushing out of armed miscreants from these areas, and our forces now dominate the strategic high ground in the region," a police spokesperson said.
The continued security operations are aimed at destabilising insurgent activities in the region and ensuring peace and order in Manipur. Despite these efforts, the state remains troubled by insurgency and ongoing ethnic violence.
