Manipur: 4 UNLF militants among 7 arrested for hijacking truck loaded with fish

Imphal, Dec 19 (PTI) Security forces have arrested seven people, including four members of a banned outfit, for hijacking a truck transporting fish in Manipur's Imphal West district, police said on Friday.

Four members of the proscribed United National Liberation Front (Pambei) outfit were arrested from different locations of Imphal West district on Thursday, the police statement said.

They had hijacked a truck loaded with boxes of iced fish from the Maharabi-Pheidinga Road in the district on Thursday, it said.

The arrested militants were identified as Borish Sagolsem (25), Herojit Sharma (32), Asem Amar Meitei (20) and Md Salman Khan (35).

UNLF(P) signed a peace pact with the Centre in 2023, but their members continue to be arrested for involvement in extortion activities and illegal firearms trafficking.

Police also said the hijacked truck, along with the boxes of iced fish, as well as two tipper trucks used for shifting the fish boxes from the hijacked truck have been seized.

Three persons, including the drivers of the seized vehicles, have also been arrested.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated operation on Thursday, 16 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were seized in Kangvai area in Churachandpur district. The IEDs were defused by the bomb disposal squad.

The explosives were seized a few kilometres from Torbung and Phougakchao Ikhai in Bishnupur district, which witnessed indiscriminate firing on Tuesday night. PTI COR ACD