IMPHAL, May 19: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a 21-year-old youth from Manipur, identified as Rajkumar Mypaksana, in Kerala’s Thalassery in connection with a case related to the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.

The arrest took place around 5 p.m. on Friday, May 16, while Rajkumar was employed as a housekeeping staff member at a local hotel. Originally from Imphal, he was tracked by the agency after several days of surveillance. NIA officials, reportedly posing as health department personnel conducting monsoon disease inspections, visited workers’ accommodations and conducted identity verifications. Rajkumar was identified using his Aadhaar card and a distinctive tattoo on his neck.

Sources close to the investigation revealed that Rajkumar is allegedly associated with a proscribed militant outfit and is linked to a case registered in Imphal concerning the ethnic unrest that has gripped the state since last year. According to reports, he did not resist arrest and cooperated with officials upon realising he had been identified.

In a significant development, the NIA recovered a fake passport from his possession. Initial investigations suggest that Rajkumar attempted to use the forged document to travel abroad via Tirur, but the attempt failed.

Investigative leads indicate that Rajkumar had arrived in Kerala last month after responding to a hotel job advertisement posted on social media. He reportedly moved through various districts before taking temporary residence at Manjodi, Thiruvangad, in Thalassery. His fluency in Hindi and English reportedly enabled him to integrate smoothly into the hotel job, where several other youths from Manipur were also employed.

Notably, the Kerala Police were not informed beforehand about the NIA’s operation. Officials cited operational secrecy as the reason behind this decision.

Rajkumar’s arrest is part of the NIA’s wider investigation aimed at identifying and apprehending individuals suspected of having connections with extremist elements involved in the Manipur conflict. The agency has intensified its nationwide efforts to locate and apprehend suspects who may be hiding outside the state.