The PLA, linked to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and radical recruitment, remains active despite recent setbacks. Authorities say the arrests could help disrupt the insurgent group’s extortion and financing network in the Imphal Valley.
BY PC Bureau
June 6, 2025
In a sustained crackdown on insurgent activities, Manipur Police and central security forces have arrested five six militants over the past 36 hours for their involvement in widespread extortion operations across the Imphal Valley. Among them are four cadres of the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and one operative of the PREPAK (Pro) outfit. These arrests are part of an intensified counterinsurgency campaign, which has seen at least 18 PLA-linked cadres arrested in the past month.
Police officials stated that the arrested militants had been extorting money from government offices, petrol pumps, businessmen, shopkeepers, and transporters in Bishnupur, Imphal East, and Imphal West districts. The first one to be nabbed was one Moirangthem Babu Singh, alias Chingshang (34), near the Ngangkhalawai–Thamnapokpi stretch of National Highway-2 under Moirang Police Station.
Intelligence based combing operations and cordon and search operations are being carried out extensively to nab the culprits involved in extortion activities in the state.
During such operations, the following arrests were made:1.On 05.06.2025, security forces arrested 03… pic.twitter.com/RYQEjCzjFo
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) June 5, 2025
In a follow up operation, in Taothong Khunou near Khudeiban Lampak in Imphal West District there, three more PLA cadres were apprehended. They were identified as Salam Amarjit Singh (37), Hijam Anand Singh (27), and Sharubam Sarat Singh (28), all residents of Andro Khunou Torongthel in Imphal East District. Authorities seized three mobile phones, Aadhaar cards, and cash from their possession.
Additionally, security forces arrested a 57-year-old active PREPAK (Pro) member, Loitongbam Jugin Singh, from Wangoo Ahallup Mayai Leikai in Bishnupur District. He had allegedly been extorting money from educational institutions and the general public in the valley. A mobile phone and SIM card were recovered from him as well.
Officials say that these arrests not only disrupted a well-organized extortion ring but also shed light on the PLA’s broader operations. Apart from extortion, the group is linked to arms smuggling, radicalization (including of minors), drug trafficking networks tied to the Golden Triangle, and targeted attacks on security personnel.
The PLA, which serves as the armed wing of the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), has seen a reduction in operational strength but still maintains pockets of influence in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, and Churachandpur districts. Intelligence sources revealed that the group has shifted to a decentralized cell-based model to evade detection, often using encrypted platforms to communicate and manage finances.
READ: Vijay Mallya Breaks Silence: “I’m No Thief” – Talks Kingfisher, Extradition, Return
“This is part of a larger, phased strategy to dismantle their entire operational structure,” a senior intelligence official said. “While weakened, their capacity to disrupt peace through coercive fundraising and recruitment efforts still exists.”
Security operations continue across the valley, with authorities indicating that more arrests may follow as intelligence inputs are acted upon.
