Itanagar, Jan 17: In a significant breakthrough, the Arunachal Pradesh Police (APP) arrested one Tana Hasi, a resident of Itanagar, who was in direct contact with senior members of United Tani Army (UTA) and Naga insurgent groups, and acted as a link between the group (UTA) and vulnerable youth in Arunachal Pradesh.
The arrest was made on January 15 in a targeted intelligence-based operation, a senior police said on Friday.
“Investigations revealed that he (Hasi) was the main recruiter and recruited young individuals facilitating their transportation to camps associated with banned organizations. He has been actively scouting for new recruits and the Capital Police have foiled one such youth from joining the organization,” IGP (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa told reporters.
“Social media platforms and local networks were used to identify and mislead young people, persuading them to join UTA,” Apa said, adding that, “This case highlights the dangerous activities of UTA, which seeks to destabilize peace and exploit the potential of our youth for violent purposes.”
Referring to a recent media report in which the self-styled (SS) chief of UTA, Anthony Doke has criticized the state police for arresting his associates, stating that they are former members of NLCT (National Liberation Council of Taniland), the IGP said, “This is nothing but to mislead the people with his misinformation campaign”, mentioning that Doke was the chief of NLCT.
Informing that the state police have identified several individuals recruited into UTA, Apa appealed to those youths to voluntarily return to their families and communities, assuring “no legal action” will be taken against them if they come forward on their own. He further said, “If you step back now, we will provide you with support to reintegrate into society and pursue a better future.”
Parents and the public were urged to “remain vigilant, guide their children away from such harmful influences”, and report any suspicious activities. “Together, we can prevent these harmful ideologies from spreading and protect the future of our youth.”
“The police are committed to dismantling recruitment networks like those operated by UTA and ensuring peace in the state,” the IGP (Law and Order) added.