Security forces in Manipur arrested an active cadre of the banned outfit People’s Liberation Army (RPF/PLA) from his residence in Imphal East district on February 22 and seized a mobile phone during the operation.

The arrested individual has been identified as Khundom Momocha Meitei alias Yaiphaba (31) of Yourabung Khunou under Lamlai Police Station. He is alleged to have been involved in extortion activities on behalf of the proscribed group.

Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the extent of his operations.

In a separate operation a day earlier, Manipur Police apprehended a suspected drug peddler in Thoubal district. Md. Anash (29) of Lilong Tharaorok under Lilong Police Station was arrested from his residence, and 730 bottles of Codeine Phosphate Syrup — a prescription drug frequently misused as a narcotic in the Northeast — were seized.

The back-to-back arrests highlight intensified efforts by security agencies to curb insurgency-linked extortion and the illegal drug trade, two persistent challenges confronting the state.