HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, March 3: The Assam Rifles along with Arunachal Pradesh Police launched a massive operation againstUnited Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) militants Manabhum reserve forest, spanning across Namsai and Changlang districts of eastern Arunachal Pradesh.
The operation was following a specific input about the presence of a heavily armed group of ULFA (I) in the said forest.
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Namsai Superintendent of Police Sange Thinley said that the forces blocked the entry and exit routes to the reserve forest so that the militants cannot escape.
Sources familiar with the matter informed that the group had entered Arunachal Pradesh from its bases in Myanmar with intent of carrying out subversive activities as well extortion.
Moreover, it has been learnt that at least 8 individuals in the Chowkham area has been served extortion letter by the ULFA (I) directing them to pay specific amount of money ranging from 15 lakh to 1 crore.
“Another motive of the ULFA (I) group was to collect their share from illegal poppy cultivation,” the sources added.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, security forces had recovered approximately 30 kg of explosives from the Digboi Reserve Forest in eastern Assam Tinsukia district during a joint operation.
The joint operation was conducted by Tinsukia police and the Indian Army.
According to police, the explosives were buried nearly a year ago by Nabajit Asom, a recently surrendered cadre of the banned outfit ULFA-I.
