Imphal, Aug. 17: Manipur police today arrested five members of the Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council), headed by Tamnganba alias Lamyanba, in an operation launched in Imphal East district.

The police arrested three of the rebels from Palace Gate in Imphal East at 10am today.

They are identified as Salam Sunita Devi, Naorem Anand alias Raj and Naorem Arun.

After interrogation, the police arrested two more members of the outfit, Yumnam Sanjit and Khamnam Basanta, from Porompat an hour later.

The police seized 13 demand notes addressed to businessmen and government officials living in Imphal, asking for amounts ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

The officer in-charge of the Imphal East commando unit, Manihar Singh, told reporters that the “commander-in-chief” of the group, Tamnganba alias Lamyanba, was an army deserter.

According to him, Tamnganba was an army deserter, Laishram Ranjit, a resident of Yurenjam Awang Leikai in Imphal West district.

“That Tamnganba is Ranjit, an army deserter, was revealed during the interrogation of one of the five arrested cadres of the group today,” Manihar Singh said.

Manihar Singh said Anand, one of the arrested, disclosed the real identity of the “commander-in-chief” of the group.

However, the police at present could not say when Ranjit had deserted and from which army unit.

“We are interrogating the arrested persons and we will know more later,” the police officer said.

On August 8, five more militants of the Lamyanba group were arrested after residents of Nambol Khabi caught and beat them up, suspecting them to be kidnappers.

More than a dozen boys have been kidnapped in Manipur in the fast months.

In another incident, the police arrested a gun dealer identified as Thingom Joychandra alias Joy and recovered 10 live rounds of AK assault rifles and 40 live rounds of .303 rifles from his residence at Khurai Chaithabi in Imphal East this morning.