The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has apprehended an armed operative affiliated with the Naxal faction People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI) in coordinated raids spanning Assam and Jharkhand.

According to an official statement released on Thursday, the NIA, in collaboration with local law enforcement, conducted raids at two sites in each state on Wednesday, resulting in the arrest of Binod Munda alias Sukkhwa from Jharkhand's Khunti district.

Munda, wanted in connection with four PLFI cases in Jharkhand, stands accused of involvement in the outfit's efforts to re-establish its presence, particularly through extortion activities targeting coal traders, transporters, railway contractors, and businessmen across Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.

During the operation, NIA teams seized significant evidence, including PLFI-related documents, two walkie-talkies, five mobile phones, SIM cards, and Rs 11,000 in cash. Earlier arrests in the case, accompanied by the confiscation of Rs 3 lakh cash, firearms, and ammunition, shed light on the ongoing efforts to revive the PLFI following the arrest of its leader, Dinesh Gope, by the NIA.

The case, initiated on October 11, 2023, under pertinent sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, targets Martin Kerkatta and other PLFI members implicated in the revival endeavor.