IMPHAL, April 20: A combined team of police commandos and Assam Rifles have on Friday arrested a woman cadre of the proscribed PREPAK allegedly involved in the recruitment of children from Sairenkhul, under Lamshang PS.
The arrested has been identified as Sapam Chonbi alias Premabati, 37, daughter of S Ibocha of Sairenkhul Mayai Leikai.
Acting on credible information, a combined team of Imphal West district commandos and a column of 30 AR arrested Sapam Chonbi near Sairenkhul LP School at around 6 am today, according to a police statement.
During preliminary interrogation, Chonbi disclosed that she is working under the command of one Kanba of Phubala Ward No.1, Bishnupur district, the statement said.
She reportedly admitted her involvement in the recruitment of children for the banned outfit PREPAK from Sairenkhul area. A mobile handset was seized from her possession, the statment added.
It may be recalled here that on April 17, three minor boys from Sairerenkhul under Lamshang PS were reportedly recruited by a valley based insurgent group.
The three boys were Ch Ajoynao alias Shantikumar, 15, son of Manglemjao, Sairem village; Soraisam Naothoibi, 14, son of Shamungou, Polangsoi Maning Leikai; and Sanasam Suran alias Suranboy, 15, son of Naoba of Sairem village, Kangdabi.
The mothers of the trio had told journalists that the boys had left home on April 7 around 11 am to watch a football tournament at Atong Khuman and their whereabouts remained unknown.
They had also said, elders of the three families were searching for them, but they were still untraceable. A missing report was also filed at the Lamshang police station on April 10, they added.
In an unrelated incident, two boys, who left home in search of work on April 11 around 11 am, were also reportedly missing.
The two boys were L Panganba, 16, son of Sushilkumar of Haorang Keirel in Imphal West and Y Ningthem, 18, son of Megha from Sairem village Mamang Leikai under Imphal East.
Whereabouts of the duo are still unknown to their families since Ningthem came to the house of Panganba on April 11 and both went out to become handymen. Ningthem was working as a handyman for some time before and he married less than a month ago.
Another two minor boys are untraceable under the same child soldier recruitment allegations levelled against the underground organizations.
Laishram Rahul, 14 of Chanam Sandrok Awang Leikai are reportedly missing since April 14 and Aheibam Johnson, 12 is also still untraceable since April 5, sources said.