Guwahati: In a series of coordinated operations, Manipur Police have arrested multiple individuals linked to militant outfits and seized large quantities of illegal liquor and arms, as part of their ongoing efforts to maintain law and order across the state.
This comes amid tensions as two separate incidents of gun violence were reported last week, leaving an elderly Meitei farmer injured and a Kuki woman dead, affecting both communities.
According to officials, a gun attack took place in the afternoon at Phubala village in Bishnupur district, where a 60-year-old farmer identified as Ningthoujam Biren sustained a bullet injury to his arm. Biren was working in his paddy field when multiple rounds were allegedly fired from nearby hill ranges bordering Churachandpur district.
On June 27, police apprehended two individuals from FCP Gate, Jiribam — Chamsinlu Rongmei (40) and Gaichendinliu Rongmei (37) — both residents of Tamenglong District. A large cache of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and DIC liquor was recovered from their possession, which included:
McDowell’s No.1 – 96 bottles
Iconic White – 144 bottles
Kingfisher beer (cans) – 216
Stok beer – 12 bottles
God Father beer – 12 bottles
Tuborg beer – 56 bottles
Old Monk beer (cans) – 24
KD whisky – 12 bottles
DIC liquor – 10 bottles
The seized liquor and the two individuals were handed over to the excise department after due formalities.
In a separate operation on the same day, three active cadres of the proscribed group KCP (PWG) were arrested from Thangmeiband Thingel Leikai in Imphal West. They have been identified as:
Aheibam Johnson Singh alias Khonthang (27)
Ningthoujam Scolia Devi alias Chaoba (25)
Salam Binita Devi alias Bemma alias Tamna (22)
All three were involved in extortion activities. Police seized three mobile phones and one wallet from their possession.
On June 26, two more KCP (PWG) cadres — Laishram Suraj Singh alias Ibungo (33) and Sapam Ashangbi Devi (34) — were arrested from Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal in Imphal East. They were engaged in extortion from the general public. Items recovered from them included:
One scooter
₹10,000 in extortion money
One Aadhaar card
Two mobile phones
Also on June 26, one KCP (PWG) cadre, Nongmeikapam Jilish Meitei (29), was arrested from Chingarel Tejpur under Lamlai Police Station, Imphal East. He was extorting money from private firms and the public for party funding.
Security forces also carried out extensive area domination and search operations in vulnerable zones. Significant recoveries include:
June 26 – Kameng Sabal, Imphal West:
3 pistols marked “Made in Burma”
3 magazines
3 hand grenades (36 HE type)
June 27 – Torbung Sabal Mamang Leikai, Bishnupur District:
1 SLR with magazine and 5 live rounds
1 modified AK rifle with empty magazine
3 single-barrel guns
June 27 – Wangoo Tarung Mamang Ching, Kakching District:
1 INSAS rifle (without magazine)
1 modified AK-56 rifle (with magazine)
1 bolt action and 1 single barrel gun
1 .32 pistol (with magazine)
1 LMG magazine (INSAS)
1 51mm mortar bomb (with cover)
3 IEDs (total weight approximately 1 kg)
1 live round (.32)
20 empty INSAS shell casings
3 tear smoke shells (LR-135 MTR)
1 Baofeng handset with charger
Camouflage clothing, tactical boots, raincoat, BP jacket without plate
Authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the precise circumstances of her death, but they acknowledged that the situation remains tense in the area.
In the aftermath of the Phubala attack, angry villagers imposed a local bandh, demanding enhanced security for farmers working in sensitive border zones.
These back-to-back incidents come just days after a confrontation between Meitei and Kuki villagers at Leitanpokpi in Imphal East over farmland access, underlining the fragile and volatile nature of the ongoing ethnic conflict that has gripped the state since May 3, 2023.
