Reported by Avik Chakraborty
Dibrugarh: In a setback to the recruitment efforts of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), Lekhapani Police in Assam’s Tinsukia district apprehended three youths on Friday.
The trio was allegedly on their way to join the insurgent outfit when they were intercepted.
The individuals have been identified as Antu Moran (34), Bijoy Moran (28) and Newton Moran (22), all hailing from the Pengeri Police Station area in Tinsukia.
Police confirmed that the arrests were part of an ongoing crackdown on the outfit’s attempts to expand its manpower.
“ULFA-I has been actively trying to recruit and engage in extortion in this border district,” a senior police official said, noting that a full investigation into the recruitment chain is currently underway.
Tinsukia, a district sharing a porous boundary with Arunachal Pradesh, has long served as a strategic corridor for the outfit. Its geographical proximity allows recruits to be moved towards camps in Myanmar with relative ease.
Security agencies have highlighted that the group is increasingly targeting marginalised and economically vulnerable youths from interior villages to boost its manpower.
Meanwhile, security forces have intensified operations in Tinsukia and adjoining areas after the incident.
“ULFA-I has been secretly targeting the youths of Tinsukia district. Their Over Ground Workers (OGWs) are brainwashing youths to join ULFA,” said a source.
Recently, security forces have helped many ULFA-I cadres return to the mainstream. Several cadres of ULFA-I have returned to the mainstream and are now leading dignified lives.