Top News

Aizawl, March 28: A security think tank based in New Delhi has raised alarms regarding the connections of a recently apprehended Russian citizen in Mizoram with a Bangladesh-origin insurgent group, intensifying worries about cross-border movements and security in the North East region.

On Friday, the Centre for North East India Security Studies (CNEISS) indicated that the arrest of Igor Babko, a 41-year-old Russian national in Mamit district, might be linked to the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS).

Babko reportedly entered the state without the required Protected Area Permit (PAP).

According to the think tank, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel detained Babko on Wednesday in Rajiv Nagar, a village inhabited by Chakmas, located in the north-western district adjacent to Tripura and Bangladesh.

The CNEISS noted that Babko's journey began from Agartala on March 18, and he is believed to have passed through Kanchanpur in North Tripura before arriving at Rajiv Nagar.

Local sources suggest that his visit was facilitated by individuals associated with the PCJSS.

Udayan Chakma, also known as Jit, who is identified as the group's Mizoram in-charge from Khagrachari district in Bangladesh, along with Binanda Chakma, were named as operatives in Mamit district.

Furthermore, the statement claimed that before entering Mizoram, Babko had visited Mittigachari village in Kanchanpur, which is described as a base for the PCJSS.

Swapan Debbarma from CNEISS remarked that such occurrences are not new.

He referenced an incident from November 6, 2025, when a Chinese national named Chun Kit Leong was reportedly brought to Tripura via Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala by representatives of the PCJSS.

The CNEISS also alleged that the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence in Bangladesh has been utilizing the PCJSS as a proxy, asserting that its leader has been in charge of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council without elections for nearly thirty years.

Additionally, the group is said to have formed connections with various armed factions, including ULFA (I), the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation.

In a concerning development, the think tank claimed that in the last week of February this year, the PCJSS aided in transporting a significant shipment of arms from armed groups based in Myanmar with the help of ULFA (I).

Highlighting the potential implications, the think tank emphasized that the trend of bringing foreign nationals into the North East under dubious circumstances necessitates thorough scrutiny by security agencies.

As of now, official agencies have not publicly addressed the specific allegations made by the think tank.