Key ULFA (I) Militant Leader Captured Near Assam-Arunachal Border

Rupam Asom, ULFA (I) 'operational commander', was arrested near Assam-Arunachal border. Accused of running extortion operations and linked to 2018 police officer murder, his arrest follows months of surveillance. Recovered from his possession were a firearm and incriminating documents. The operation continues to search for more ULFA cadres.

In a significant operation, the 'operational commander' of the outlawed ULFA (I), Rupam Asom, was arrested from a secluded forest area near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, a senior police officer revealed on Saturday. This arrest is considered a setback for the outlawed group's activities in the region.

Rupam Asom had been allegedly spearheading the group's extortion racket across parts of Assam. His name appeared in a National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheet related to the 2018 murder of Bhaskar Kalita, Bordumsa Police Station's officer-in-charge. Tinsukia's Superintendent of Police, Abhijit Gaurav, announced that Rupam's activities were under close surveillance by security forces for several months.

Based on reliable intelligence regarding his whereabouts in Margherita, Tinsukia, a synchronized operation led to his capture. The operation, carried out by a coalition of Assam Police, Assam Rifles, and military intelligence, resulted in the recovery of a firearm and incriminating documents from Rupam's possession. The search for additional cadres continues fiercely, according to another police official.

(With inputs from agencies.)