OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: In a major breakthrough, the Capital Police here have cracked down on a dangerous network involving militant recruitment, arms trafficking, and cross-border criminal activity.
The activity was tied to a self-styled group, the National Socialist Council for Taniland (NSCT), and its armed wing, the United Tani Army (UTA), a senior police officer said on Thursday.
The investigation, which began on January 8 this year, was initiated after police took suo moto cognizance of threatening videos and letters widely circulated on social media, allegedly issued by the outfit’s self-declared commander-in-chief, Anthony Doke, a repeat offender with more than 20 previous cases involving extortion and firearms violations across Arunachal Pradesh, the officer said.
Following the registration of a case at Itanagar Police Station, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), police began a comprehensive probe, Capital Superintendent of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh told reporters.
Initial arrests included Tana Hasi and Techi Bidu, who were actively recruiting vulnerable youth from marginalised communities into the UTA, he disclosed.
“Intelligence inputs confirmed their involvement in an attempt to traffic a young boy from the Tarasso region to Myanmar under the pretence of offering him a job opportunity, with the actual objective being to enrol him in a cross-border militant training camp,” the SP said.
He added that further investigation revealed that three other boys had already been taken out of Itanagar under the guise of participating in a YouTube video shoot, only to be forcibly conscripted into the UTA.
Two of these boys have since returned, sharing disturbing accounts of torture, psychological abuse, and harsh living conditions during their forced training, the SP said.
Singh informed that a key lead came with the recovery of an illegal firearm from Tana Hasi, which, according to preliminary findings, was given to him by Anthony Doke for safekeeping and future use by trained operatives in potential attacks in Itanagar.
The first charge sheet in the case has already been submitted, underscoring the swift and determined action of the Capital Police. Investigations remain active, with new operational details emerging regularly, the SP said.
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