'In last 4 months ...': Manipur Police shares data showing spike in crime cases

Courtesy: Manipur Police

Manipur police have shared data on X according to which in less than four months from November 1, 2024, to February 23, 2025 the violence-hit state reported 80 cases of extortion.

The state that borders Myanmar also recorded 22 cases of drug smuggling and 12 cases of illegal arms possession during the same period.

These numbers only reflect cases officially shared by the police. There could be additional cases that have not been publicly disclosed.

The increased street patrols and improved reporting in the valley areas have contributed to these numbers, according to the police, while law enforcement presence in the hills remains disrupted due to deep ethnic divisions.

Insurgent groups

An analysis of police data suggests that the Kangleipak Communist Party (People’s War Group), or KCP (PWG), has been involved in the highest number of extortion and related crimes.

As per NDTV, this group was allegedly being used as "hired guns" to attack civilians and extort money in the valley areas, further fuelling tensions.

However, officials have not disclosed who is behind these attacks.

The People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Progressive), or PREPAK (PRO), follows as the second-most involved group, while the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), come third, with eight reported cases against them.

Other insurgent groups that have been carrying out criminal activities include PREPAK, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), and multiple factions of KCP and UNLF.

The banned Meitei insurgent groups, such as PLA and KYKL, which had been nearly inactive for a decade, have returned to the state from Myanmar after May 2023. This has happened because of the weakening control of the military junta in the region.

Crimes and police action

The crimes reported in the police data include extortion, drug smuggling, illegal arms possession, kidnapping, arson, infiltration, and targetted killings. Notably, the police did not specify the nature of the crime in 11 cases and did not mention the groups involved in 27 cases.

Among the 131 cases that have been reported, extortion accounts for the highest number (80 cases), followed by drug smuggling (22 cases). illegal arms possession (12 cases), and kidnapping (9 cases).

Other crimes include cash recovery (2 cases), arson (1 case), infiltration (1 case), and targeted killing (1 case).

Police crackdown after President’s Rule

Since the imposition of the President’s Rule on February 13, there has been a significant rise in police actions, including arrests and the recovery of illegal firearms. The Manipur Police's official X handle, which had only a few hundred followers in May 2023, now has over 24,000 followers and a verified blue tick, indicating a growing online presence.

Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has issued a seven-day deadline for all communities to surrender looted and illegal weapons. The deadline ends on Thursday. Further crackdowns are expected if the firearms are not voluntarily surrendered.

Manipur has been suffering from violence since May 2023, due to the continuous clashes between the Meitei community and various Kuki tribes.

The conflict, rooted in disputes over land rights and political representation, has worsened the security situation in the state.