Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 8 May: In a significant development, the capital police have cracked down on underground elements linked to the so-called Nationalist Social Council for Taniland (NSCT) and its armed wing, the United Tani Army (UTA), by arresting four individuals so far.
With the arrest of four alleged accused, the capital police have dismantled the emerging militant networks linked to trafficking and arms smuggling in the capital region.
Itanagar Superintendent of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh informed that, after a video of UTA chairman Anthony Doke was circulated, the capital police launched an operation on 8 January and arrested one Tana Hasu and one Techi Bidu, who were actively recruiting vulnerable youthsfrom marginalised communities into the UTA.
The SP informed that “Bidu had been lured from Tarasso and taken across the international boundary on the pretext of making him a YouTuber, so that he could earn lots of money. He was trained with all modern tactical training.”
“Their motive was to train youths and send them back to Arunachal to extort heavy money and create law and order problems in the ICR,” the SP informed.
“Intelligence revealed their involvement in an attempted trafficking of a young boy from the Tarasso region to Myanmar, under the false pretence of financial opportunity, with the goal of enrolling him into a cross-border militant training camp,” the SP added.
Singh further informed that the probe uncovered that three boys had already been lured out of Itanagar under the guise of participating in a YouTube shoot. Once across theborder, they were forcibly conscripted into the UTA’s militant ranks.
“Two of the boys have since returned, detailing disturbing accounts of torture, psychological abuse, and harsh living conditions during their forced training,” the SP said.
He further informed about the recovery of an illegal firearm from an alleged UTA recruiter, Tana Hasi.
“Preliminary evidence suggests it was handed to him by Anthony Doke for safekeeping and was meant for use by trained operatives in future criminal activities in Itanagar,” the SP said.
On 30 April, during follow-up operations, the police identified one Biro Gumja Tamin as a central operative linked to the NSCN (K-YA). Tamin was allegedly involved in extorting high-value contractors to fund insurgent operations. His arrest led to the seizure of a foreign-made pistol and a substantial cache of ammunition believed to have been deployed in acts of coercion and intimidation, the police said.
“Tamin’s interrogation revealed an organised arms trafficking network with roots in Itanagar, and connections to insurgent groups in Nagaland. Evidence
indicates that he was instrumental in acquiring and distributing illegal firearms within the region,” the police added.
The police further informed that subsequent searches led to the seizure of two more foreign-made weapons and the arrest of another accomplice, Tapa Nungnu.
A raid on his premises yielded a large quantity of illegal ammunition, an unlicenced firearm, and cash suspected to be proceeds from illicit arms sales, the police informed.
A new case has been registered at the Itanagar police station under Sections 111(2)(b)/(3)/(6) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, read with Section 13 of the UAPA and Sections 25(1)(1B)(a)/27(1) of the Arms Act.
“This case targets the wider network responsible for distribution and concealment of illegal arms and ammunition. Investigations have also uncovered a nexus between this trafficking syndicate and a larger narcotics network operating in the Gohpur-Chimpu corridor,” the police said.
A separate Case under Section 21(b)/27(A)/29 NDPS Act has been registered at the Chimpu police station to pursue this angle, and two persons have been arrested with narcotics, the police added.
