ULFA managed to collect Rs. 6 Cr this year by extorting money in state’s border areas: Police

Guwahati, June 21: Though its strength has depleted, the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) (ULFA-I) is still maintaining three camps inside Myanmar and the militant outfit is mostly involved in collecting money in the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-state border areas.

Police and security forces have managed to get vital information about the activities of the outfit following the arrest of the outfit’s ‘operation commander’ Rupam Asom from near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Police sources told The Assam Tribune that during questioning, Rupam admitted about the extortion bids of the outfit and revealed that the outfit has managed to collect around Rs 6 crore this year.

Most of the collections were from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border areas as the outfit’s cadres are apprehensive of coming deep inside Assam territory. However, the cadres are not aware where the money is spent.

The main camp of the ULFA(I) in Myanmar is located deep inside the neighbouring country and it is termed as the general mobile headquarters. It is headed by senior leader Michael Deka Phukan. That is the biggest camp of the outfit where most of the cadres stay and a bit of training of new cadres also takes place in that camp.

The second major camp is named as the ‘Eastern camp’ that is headed by Nayan Asom. But at this moment, there is not much activity going on at this camp.

The most active camp is the ‘Arakan camp’, also known as the ‘camp 779’, which is headed by Arunodoi Asom. Members of this camp are often sent to India to extort money and kidnap traders or their employees. These members are also involved in acts of violence.

Police sources said that Rupam was a member of the Arakan camp and he was involved in the outfit’s operations.

The sources also revealed that a 10-member group headed by Rupam entered India from Myanmar in February this year to collect money and launch operations if possible. But three members surrendered at the first possible chance, which depleted the team.

The arrest of Rupam led to further depletion and it is believed that the remaining members are still in Arunachal Pradesh.

Rupam admitted before police and security forces that there is serious discontentment among the cadres because of the condition of the camps and given a chance, a large number of cadres may surrender.

Most of the new cadres joined the militant outfit with a rosy picture in mind but when they reached Myanmar, they found that life was very hard. They have to live in jungles with desperate shortage of even basic necessities like food and clothes and there is competition among the top leadership on who can get closer to outfit chief Paresh Baruah.

Sources said that at one point of time, Rupam was in the good books of Paresh Baruah because of his operational abilities. But he has not met Baruah for 4-5 years.