Itanagar, May 8: The Itanagar Capital Police made significant headway in an ongoing investigation into a shadowy militant outfit calling itself the National Socialist Council for Taniland (NSCT) and its armed wing, United Tani Army (UTA).
The probe, which began suo moto on January 8 last following the circulation of threatening videos and letters on social media by the group’s self-declared commander-in-chief Anthony Doke, has led to multiple arrests, seizures of arms and ammunition, and exposure of disturbing youth conscription activities, Itanagar SP Rohit Rajbir Singh said on Thursday.
Anthony Doke, a known habitual offender with over 20 criminal cases involving extortion and firearms violations, has been identified as the mastermind behind the outfit. Based on preliminary findings, a case was registered at Itanagar Police Station (case No. 06/25) under Sections 147/149/150 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), he said.
Early leads led to the arrest of two key operatives Tana Hasi and Techi Bidu, who were allegedly involved in recruiting vulnerable youth from marginalized communities into the UTA. Intelligence revealed their involvement in an attempted trafficking of a young boy from the Tarasso region to Myanmar, under false pretenses of financial opportunity, with the goal of enrolling him into a cross-border militant training camp.
Further investigation revealed that three other boys had already been trafficked out of Itanagar under the guise of participating in a YouTube shoot, only to be forcibly conscripted into UTA’s militant ranks. Two of the boys have since returned and provided harrowing accounts of torture, and psychological abuse during their forced training.
In a crucial breakthrough, an illegal firearm reportedly handed over by Anthony Doke was recovered from Tana Hasi. The weapon was allegedly intended for future use by trained operatives in violent activities in the Itanagar Capital Region.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Biro Gumja Tamin on April 30, identified as a central operative linked to the banned outfit NSCN-KYA, who is accused of extorting contractors to fund insurgent activities. His arrest yielded a foreign-made pistol and a significant cache of ammunition.
Tamin’s interrogation revealed his central role in an organized arms trafficking network with roots in Itanagar and connections to insurgent groups in Nagaland. Evidence indicates he was instrumental in acquiring and distributing illegal firearms within the region, the SP told the newsmen, adding that subsequent searches resulted in the seizure of two more foreign-made weapons and exposed another accomplice, Tapa Nungnu. A raid on his premises yielded a large quantity of illegal ammunition, an unlicensed firearm, and unaccounted cash suspected to be proceeds of arms smuggling.
A new case (No. 72/25) was registered at Itanagar PS under Sections 111(2)(b)/(3)/(6) and 3(5) of the BNS, read with Section 13 of UAPA and Sections 25(1)(1B)(a)/27(1) of the Arms Act, targeting the broader arms trafficking syndicate.
Investigations have also uncovered a nexus between this arms racket and a parallel narcotics network operating along the Gohpur–Chimpu corridor. A separate case (No. 25/25) has been registered at Chimpu PS under Sections 21(b)/27(A)/29 of the NDPS Act, resulting in arrest of two persons and seizure of illegal narcotics.
“The Capital Police remains fully committed to dismantling this dangerous network that threatens public safety through militancy, arms trafficking, and exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Efforts are ongoing to trace all collaborators in coordination with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies,” the SP said.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, reaffirming that public cooperation is key to safeguarding peace and security in the region.