Multiple villages joined the manhunt, with Chungtia villagers nabbing the trio near Milak River
The three undertrial prisoners who escaped from the Mokokchung District Jail in the early hours of Thursday, October 30, were recaptured near the Milak River (Milak Metongmen) in the Chungtia Village area on October 31 at around 4:30 PM.
Following the jailbreak, Mokokchung Police launched an extensive manhunt and alerted neighbouring villages, including Khensa, Chungtia, and Aliba where the manhunt ended with Chungtia villagers nabbing the trio near Milak River.
Speaking to MT, Chungtia Village Council Chairman, Assamwati Longchar said the Council received a lookout notice from the SDPO and Mokokchung PS-II OC and immediately relayed the information to the village’s duty ‘zünga’ (age group) under the Chungtia Village Council. “We have two ‘duty groups’ on the village and they have been on watch since early morning,” he said.
Imtiyanger, President of the Chungtia duty ‘zünga’, said that the two groups of the village’s vigilant group had been on duty since around 7 a.m., following the directive from the Village Council.
Talking to MT, he narrated, “The first sighting was at the Milak River. A group of us followed the escapees as they moved along the riverbank, while others positioned themselves downstream. When the fugitives surfaced, we ambushed and apprehended them at around 4:30 p.m,” he recounted.
The Khensa Village Council also dispatched about six volunteers from its ‘Pangjung zünga’ to assist in the search operation and maintained coordination with Chungtia Village. Likewise, Aliba Village deployed volunteers to support the effort.
The operation was a joint effort involving police personnel, jail authorities, and community volunteers from multiple villages, reflecting strong coordination between law enforcement and local communities.
The police extended their heartfelt gratitude to the village and confirmed to this newspaper that they are now on their way to the police station in Mokokchung Town.
