After NSCN, now the outlawed Ulfa hardliners have started roping in Arunachalee youth by establishing a nexus with a fledgling armed group of Arunachal Pradesh, United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF).
This came to light following the arrest of a junior Ulfa cadre Rocket Syam, alias Nangthaw Syam, who hails from Namsai police station area of Arunachal.
Disclosing that Rocket Syam was associated with Ulfa leader Rongmon Gogoi, who was picked up by security forces on Monday from Wingseng Nongtaw village in Lohit district, authoritative security sources said that interrogation of Ulfa leaders have confirmed the nexus of the Ulfa with the UPDF.
Pointing out that Ulfa was supporting UPDF to spread its terror and extortion networks in the frontier state, security sources said that the Ulfa and UPDF have been sharing the money extorted from coalmines, businessmen and even politicians of the frontier states.
Pointing out that Ulfa leader Rongmon Gogoi has also confessed its strategic alliance with the UPDF, security sources said that Rocket Syam, who was closely associated with self-style commander-in-chief of UPDF Chow Sumona Munglang, has also admitted to be funded by some political leaders of the frontier state. However, security sources refused to reveal the names as inputs of intelligence agencies are yet to be verified.
Indicating that a sizeable amount of development fund was going to the coffer of armed rebels, security sources said that the Ulfa, Maoist and NSCN have turned the frontier state into a safe sanctuary.
In order to spread and strengthen its network, the Ulfa was facilitating training to the UPDF cadres across the border in Burma, security sources said adding that harmony between the two outfits was such that second-rung leadership of the UPDF was into the hands of rebels who hail from Assam.
Stressing on the need for tackling the growing militancy in the frontier state, security sources regretted that hardship of common man due to the presence of armed rebels in Tirap, Changlang and now Lohit districts of Arunachal has gone unnoticed.
Asserting that three factions of the NSCN already have their strong presence in the frontier state, security sources said that the Ulfa has been another major area of concern for the security agencies.