Guwahati, June 10: Ulfa has now started reaching out to the tea tribe community to swell its ranks in cash-rich Upper Assam, which was once its stronghold but where it suffered reverses after two of the three companies of the 28th battalion declared a ceasefire last year.

The outfit’s new strategy came to light following the arrest of an Ulfa linkman, Devdas Tanti, from Thowra tea estate yesterday.

A tea garden labourer himself, Devdas Tanti admitted that he had been deputed by Ulfa to lure tea garden youths to join the outfit.

In subsequent operations launched by the 316 field regiment of the army, three tea garden youths — Akash Tongla, Gautam Mali and Amrit Tongla of Mohukutee tea estate under Bokata Nemuguri police station in Sivasagar district — were apprehended.

All three, aged between 15 to 20, revealed that they were supposed to go to Myanmar on June 12 for training and that they were also promised money by Tanti to join Ulfa.

A source said Ulfa had made a similar attempt to recruit tea garden youths a few years back through Charan Tanti, a middle-level tea tribe leader, but the move was nipped in the bud after he was killed in an encounter at Moran in Dibrugarh district.

Amar Tanti, a tea garden youth recruited by Charan, was also killed around the same time in another encounter with security forces at Panitola in Tinsukia district.

The current recruitment drive, however, is focusing on tea gardens only in Sivasagar.

A source said Ulfa still has some influence in Sivasagar despite the fact that the A and C companies of the outfit’s 28th battalion declared a ceasefire in June last year.

“Sivasagar district falls under the jurisdiction of the B company and Ulfa is still active in the district, especially in Sonari subdivision, which is located along the border with Nagaland,” an army officer said.

In another operation launched by the army yesterday, three more Ulfa linkmen, Sanjeeb Tirki of Thowra tea estate, Firuzzudin Khan and Shaan Phukon, both from Sepon, were apprehended.

The officer said security forces have been receiving information about Ulfa’s attempts to launch recruitment drives in the interior parts of Sivasagar district.

“We have activated our sources and received information about Devdas Tanti trying to lure tea garden youths to join Ulfa,” an officer said.

“He (Tanti) never paid money to these youths but pro-missed them that they would be paid as soon as they returned from their training in Myanmar,” the officer added.