Manipur: 18 arrested in state wide crackdown on insurgents, drug peddlers

A police statement issued from Manipur Police said that in one operation in Imphal East district, three illegal arms dealers were arrested from Pukhao Ahallup Makha Leikai

At least 18 people, including active members of banned insurgent outfits, illegal arms dealers, and drug peddlers, were arrested in a series of coordinated operations carried out by security forces and police across Manipur on Tuesday.

even insurgents were apprehended near Yongkhul village in Tengnoupal district. (Representative file photo)

A police statement issued from Manipur Police said that in one operation in Imphal East district, three illegal arms dealers were arrested from Pukhao Ahallup Makha Leikai. Among them was an active cadre of the United National Liberation Front–Pambei (UNLF–Pambei) faction, which had signed a peace agreement with the government in November 2023. Recovered items included an INSAS rifle, ammunition, mobile phones, and identity cards.

In Thoubal district, two active members of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party–People’s War Group (KCP–PWG) were apprehended in separate operations. One, Khundongbam Prithibiraj Meitei, 23, was arrested near Sorojini Oil Pump for his alleged involvement in extortion and kidnapping. Another, Huidrom Jiban, 45, was arrested for threatening residents with monetary demands.

In Bishnupur district, Salam Karan Singh, 21, a member of the Kangleipak Communist Party–Meitei Fingang Lanmee (KCP–MFL), was taken into custody for his role in extorting local businesses and threatening public institutions.

Two active cadres of the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) were also arrested in Imphal East district near Koirengei Kabui Khul Gate.

Seven insurgents were apprehended near Yongkhul village in Tengnoupal district. The group included four cadres of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), two from KCP, and one from the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL).

In a separate anti-narcotics operation in Churachandpur district, one individual was arrested with 112 soap cases of suspected brown sugar weighing 1,267 grams. The suspect, Mungsanglian alias David, 33, was arrested from Lanva village.

The statement further said the total of 18 arrests includes insurgents from at least five banned outfits, arms traffickers, and drug peddlers, highlighting an intensifying crackdown across the state.

According to officials, security operations including combing and cordon-and-search drives are ongoing.