GUWAHATI: In their relentless crackdown on the United Liberation Front of Assam – Independent (ULFA-I) in Upper Assam, the Tinsukia police achieved a significant breakthrough by apprehending a former member of the proscribed militant outfit on August 1.
The arrested individual, identified as Surjit Gogoi, had been a cause for concern due to his alleged involvement in enticing youths to join the proscribed militant outfit. The Tinsukia police acted swiftly on intelligence and launched an operation to track and arrest Gogoi while he was on the move, successfully thwarting the militant organisation’s attempt to recruit more youths.
The police uncovered that Aisaang Assam, linked to the outfit’s recruitment drive in the region, played a pivotal role by providing Gogoi with a list of 17 youths and pressuring him to induct them into ULFA-I. Acting on a tip-off regarding Aisaang Assam’s involvement, the Tinsukia police promptly took action.
Previously, Gogoi, who had joined ULFA-I in 2021, had been taken into custody by the Tinsukia police in 2022 from Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh, immediately after entering India from Myanmar. The arrest had taken place near Noglo village, near the Myanmar border, where the militants had sneaked into the country from a ULFA-I camp located in Myanmar.
Currently, the police are investigating the recruitment scheme and working diligently to gather substantial evidence to ensure justice is served. Police sources revealed that Aichang Assam initiated contact with Gogoi through Facebook, marking the inception of the recruitment plan.
