IMPHAL: Manipur Police has successfully dismantled a sophisticated extortion network preying on educational institutions and local businesses, while security forces unearthed a significant weapons cache in a separate, yet equally crucial, operation spanning three districts over the past weekend.
The breakthrough in the extortion case occurred in Kakching district with the arrest of Thongam Dilip Meitei, a key member of the banned Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL). Meitei, a resident of Napat Mayai Leikai, had been systematically intimidating and extorting money from schools and brick kiln owners in Kakching and Thoubal districts. Police seized two mobile phones from the suspect, which are currently being analysed to expose the full extent of the organisation’s financial dealings and identify other members of the syndicate. The swift action by the police has brought a sigh of relief to the local business community and educational institutions that have been long-suffering under the threat of these illegal activities.
In a remarkable display of coordinated intelligence, security forces made an even bigger discovery the following day in the foothills of Huikap village in Imphal East district. A large and dangerous arsenal was recovered, including a 4-kilogram improvised explosive device, a 9mm pistol, two single-barrel rifles, along with multiple hand grenades and a significant amount of ammunition. The presence of a wireless communication set in the cache has led authorities to believe that these weapons were stockpiled for a major, coordinated strike by insurgent groups. The timely recovery has potentially averted a serious threat to public safety and regional stability.
Adding to the weekend’s successes, security personnel in Bishnupur district apprehended two individuals for allegedly smuggling contraband. The suspects, Md. Aziz Khan (23) and Md. Suraj Khan (20) of Kwakta Ward, were caught at Phougakchao Ikhai Bazar with 30 bags of betel nuts weighing a staggering 1,300 kilograms, concealed within their Tata Yodha vehicle. The arrests underscore the continuous efforts of security forces to curb not only insurgency-related activities but also other forms of organised crime that fuel illegal economies in the state.
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