Dibrugarh: Assam Police have arrested two more individuals from Uttar Pradesh on charges of raising funds for the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), or Ulfa-I, shedding light on the outfit's extensive extortion and funding operations that span across India.
Details of the Arrests
The arrested suspects have been identified as Noor Mohammad, a resident of Saharanpur, and Mohammad Subhan, from Kanpur. They were located in a rented accommodation in Unnao's Budhwari area, where they had been living under false identities for nearly six months. A coordinated team of Assam Police, working alongside local law enforcement and surveillance units, successfully tracked and apprehended the duo.
The two accused were brought to Tinsukia on Thursday for further questioning, according to Mrinmoy Das, additional superintendent of police (headquarters) in Tinsukia. On May 25, Sheikh Bashir, a resident of Palghar in Maharashtra who was already arrested in connection with the same case, was also transported to Tinsukia. All three individuals are currently being interrogated at Tinsukia Police Station.
ASP Das stated, "We have now brought three accused to Tinsukia — two from Uttar Pradesh and one from Maharashtra. All three are under interrogation. We are working to establish the complete trail of funding, trace the network of individuals involved, and determine how far this operation extends across the country." A case has been registered against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for their alleged role in channeling funds to Ulfa-I.
Wider Crackdown on Ulfa-I Networks
The arrests in Unnao are part of a broader crackdown on Ulfa-I's alleged extortion and funding networks, with police pursuing leads across multiple states in recent weeks. This latest development follows a major breakthrough on May 24, when Tinsukia Police arrested five individuals, including journalist Debashish Gohain and Samar Gohain, assistant general secretary of the All Assam Students' Union (Aasu), on suspicion of funneling extortion money on behalf of Ulfa-I. Bashir, who had a frequent travel history to the northeast and neighboring countries, was arrested with the assistance of Maharashtra Police after Debashish Gohain's interrogation allegedly led to his name.
Police have stated that the funds were extortion money collected on behalf of Ulfa-I, with instructions allegedly routed from the outfit's chief, Paresh Baruah. Two separate cases have been registered at Tinsukia Police Station in connection with the broader investigation, and authorities have indicated that more arrests cannot be ruled out as the probe deepens.
