Daijiworld Media Network - Imphal

Imphal, Feb 8: Security forces in Manipur intensified their crackdown on insurgency and illegal activities over the past 24 hours, arresting five hardened militants from different banned outfits and seizing a cache of explosives near the India–Myanmar border, officials said on Sunday.

According to police sources, several mortars and two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered from the Yangoubung area along the international border under the jurisdiction of Moreh police station in Tengnoupal district. The recovered explosives were later safely neutralised by a specialised bomb disposal squad.

Manipur’s 398-km-long porous border with Myanmar has long been a vulnerable corridor for cross-border smuggling of narcotics—especially heroin and methamphetamine tablets—as well as arms, ammunition and other illegal goods.

The five arrested militants were identified as members of the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF). They were apprehended during coordinated operations in Imphal East, Imphal West and Kakching districts.

Police said the militants were allegedly involved in multiple criminal activities, including extortion through the forced collection of so-called “subscriptions” from traders, contractors, government employees and civilians.

In a parallel anti-narcotics drive, a joint team of security forces and the Forest Department destroyed approximately 70 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in the Sihai hill range under Ukhrul police station in Ukhrul district. Officials said the operation thwarted an attempt to produce opium valued at several crores of rupees. Four makeshift huts found at the cultivation sites were also demolished.

Meanwhile, security forces comprising central and state agencies continue to conduct large-scale counter-insurgency operations across Manipur. These include search missions and area domination exercises in fringe, mixed-population and other vulnerable zones.

To tighten surveillance, 114 nakas and checkpoints have been established across both hill and valley districts to monitor insurgent movement and intercept suspicious vehicles. Security personnel are also escorting vehicles, including those carrying essential supplies, along the Imphal–Jiribam National Highway (NH-37), with heightened protection in sensitive stretches.

The Manipur Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant and avoid believing or sharing unverified information on social media. “The authenticity of any audio or video clip should be confirmed with the Central Control Room. Circulation of fake or misleading content will invite legal action,” a police statement cautioned.