Imphal: In a major breakthrough against cross-border militancy, Manipur Police intercepted two juvenile members of the banned United Tribal Volunteers (UTV) near Chakpikarong on October 18, disrupting militant activity in the state’s sensitive Chandel district.
The juveniles were apprehended at Salluk, close to Chakpikarong police station, while travelling from Churachandpur towards Tamu, a border town in Myanmar. Police officials have withheld their identities due to legal provisions protecting minors.
The United Tribal Volunteers, active in Manipur’s border regions, has been known to exploit porous international boundaries for recruitment and cross-border operations, posing persistent challenges to law enforcement.
In a separate operation on October 22, Manipur Police conducted an anti-gambling raid across several locations in Imphal East district. Officers from Lamlai police station seized four Lagao betting sheets and one set of dice during the drive aimed at curbing illegal gambling activities.
The apprehension of underage militants has reignited concerns about the recruitment of children by insurgent groups along Manipur’s international frontier, while the anti-gambling operation underscores the state’s broader enforcement of prohibition and public order laws.
