The arrested men, identified as Noor Mohammad from Saharanpur and Mohammad Subhan from Kanpur, were traced to a rented accommodation in the Budhwari area of Unnao, where they had been living for nearly six months under concealed identities, officials said on Thursday.

A team of Assam Police, working in coordination with local police and surveillance units, tracked and apprehended the duo.

According to Assam Police, a case had been registered against them at Tinsukia's Sadar Kotwali police station under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for their alleged role in channelling funds to ULFA-I.

Sadar Kotwali SHO Chandrakant Mishra said the accused were handed over to Assam Police on transit remand after completion of legal formalities on Wednesday.

Investigators are now probing who provided shelter to the pair in Unnao and the nature of their local contacts.

The Unnao arrests are part of a rapidly expanding crackdown against ULFA-I's alleged extortion and funding networks.

Days earlier, Tinsukia Police made four arrests in connection with suspected fund collection on behalf of the outfit. Two separate cases have been registered in connection with those arrests, and investigations are underway.

In a parallel operation, Assam Police also carried out a special operation in Maharashtra, apprehending one Sheikh Rashiv, who was brought to Assam on transit remand. Police said investigation into his alleged links with the extortion network is continuing.

The arrests come against the backdrop of a sharp spike in alleged extortion activity by ULFA-I across Upper Assam.

On May 25, two suspected members of the outfit, identified as Ritu Gogoi and Jitu Gogoi, both residents of Bogidol Molai village, were injured in a police operation at Bogidol Madhuri Molai village in Sivasagar.

According to police, a group of six men arrived on three motorcycles to collect Rs 8 lakh in extortion money from local businessman Lachit Gogoi, who had reportedly been receiving extortion demands for an extended period.

On spotting police personnel deployed at the location, the group opened fire, prompting retaliatory action. Two motorcycles and a firearm were recovered from the scene.

Earlier on May 10, Dibrugarh Police dismantled a separate extortion racket operating in the name of ULFA-I, arresting three men, namely Krishna Moni Chetia, Jintu Gogoi, and Sanjay Gogoi, for allegedly demanding Rs 60 lakh from a doctor in Moran.

The extortion letter, delivered near the doctor's residence, was purportedly issued under the banner of ULFA-I.

Together, the arrests across five states signal a coordinated security push to dismantle ULFA-I's funding and extortion apparatus, which investigators say stretches well beyond Assam.

With inputs from PTI