HT Digital
IMPHAL, APR 23: The Anti-Extortion Unit of the Manipur Police has arrested two women recently recruited by underground groups, highlighting the growing involvement of women in extortion operations across the five valley districts. This troubling trend has raised serious concerns among law enforcement agencies.
On Tuesday, police apprehended 20-year-old Tongbram Dolly Devi at Lamphel Super Market, near the Traffic Island in Imphal West. Devi, reportedly an activist of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (Nongdrenkhomba), was allegedly engaged in extortion activities in the region.
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In a separate operation, authorities arrested 40-year-old Keisham Sana Leima, also known as Tamphasana or Lingjel, at Khundrakpam in Imphal East. Leima is said to be a cadre of the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleikai – Progressive (PREPAK-P), another militant outfit active in the area.
Investigations have revealed that several valley-based militant groups are increasingly recruiting women, often from impoverished backgrounds, for extortion activities.
These women are initially tasked with collecting monetary demands and, in many cases, later undergo military training as part of their deeper integration into these underground networks.
The arrests have prompted heightened concern among authorities, who see the use of female recruits as a new and worrying tactic by militant groups.
The development complicates efforts to dismantle extortion networks in Manipur and underscores the urgent need for more targeted interventions.
