Allegations of abduction, extortion and custodial torture claims have intensified political and public reactions in the sensitive inter-state region
Itanagar: The arrest of Arunachal anti-drug campaigner and Arunachal Anti-Drug Warriors (AADW) president Gumin Mize by Assam Police has triggered strong reactions across the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh border, bringing renewed attention to the region’s long-standing narcotics problem and inter-state tensions.
Mize, 43, was taken into custody by Lakhimpur Police from Itanagar on May 20 in connection with an alleged abduction and extortion case registered at Bihpuria Police Station in Assam. Police accused him of kidnapping a man from a tea estate in Lakhimpur district, demanding Rs 7 lakh as ransom, and later opening fire during a separate incident at the victim’s residence.
Investigators said the case also involves alleged illegal possession of firearms. During subsequent searches, police reportedly seized a rifle, a revolver and an unregistered Bolero vehicle.
However, the arrest has sparked outrage in Arunachal Pradesh, where several organisations have questioned the allegations against the anti-drug activist. The Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organisation described the charges as “baseless” and claimed Mize used his licensed weapon in self-defence.
Adding to the controversy, a complaint alleging custodial torture has been filed before the National Human Rights Commission. Photographs circulating online, purportedly showing injury marks on Mize’s body, further intensified public anger.
Lakhimpur Senior Superintendent of Police Gundendra Deka denied the allegations, stating that “due legal procedure, including medical examination, was followed.”
The controversy has once again highlighted the growing drug trafficking concerns in the Banderdewa–Lakhimpur border corridor, a region frequently linked to narcotics seizures and cross-border crime.
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