New Delhi, Dec. 3: Senior Ulfa leader Jiban Moran, the second-in-command to commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, was taken into custody of Myanmarese authorities today along with an Indian journalist amid reports that Barua, too, has been arrested from a camp in Myanmar.

Myanmar authorities picked up Moran, a trusted deputy among the few like Drishti Rajkhowa, still loyal to Barua, was picked up close to the India-Myanmar border along with an Indian journalist today.

The journalist was going to Myanmar to interview Barua, ostensibly with Moran.

“We have information about Jiban Moran and your journalist friend but not about Paresh Barua,” Union home secretary R.K. Singh told The Telegraph.

Singh said he would give out more details tomorrow, when the government is slated to hold talks with NDFB (Progressive) and according to a changed schedule, with the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-Nunisa).

There are two major routes to get to Barua’s camps in Myanmar — through Nagaland and through Changlang distrct in Arunachal Pradesh.

Barua’s arrest is still a mystery.

A few week’s ago, agencies had intercepted his extortion calls to businessmen in Assam.

The Ulfa commander-in-chief, after his problems with Bangladesh authorities, following the Awami League taking over the reins of power in Dhaka, had shifted base to western Myanmar.

He shuttles between northwestern Myanmar and Ruili in Yunan province of China.

India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) that looks after electronic surveillance and military intelligence (MI) were keeping a watch on Barua and Moran ever since their opposition to the peace process.

In September, the Ulfa signed a peace pact with the government but Barua, heading the now-termed “anti-talks” faction, opposed it.