China-Myanmar module of NSCN-IM helped banned outƒts in Manipur: NIA
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said in a chargesheet that the “China-Myanmar module” of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) supported the cadres of two banned Meitei outts to inltrate India in order to exploit the current ethnic unrest in Manipur with a larger goal to destabilise the State and wage a war against the Government of India.
The chargesheet, led in a Guwahati court on March 7 against ve accused persons who were arrested in July last year in Manipur, said they “criminally conspired with intent to carry out violent terror attacks targeting the rival Kuki-Zo community with prohibited arms and ammunition which were looted from various government sources”.
The Union government signed a ceasere pact in 1997 with the NSCN-IM leadership in India and a framework agreement to nd a political solution was signed with the group in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015. The group envisages a ‘Greater Nagaland’ to include all the Naga-dominated areas in Nagaland, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
M. Anand Singh, 44, the main accused, was arrested last July along with A. Kajit Singh, Keisham Johnson, L. Michael Mangangcha and K. Romojit Meitei by the Manipur Police while travelling in a vehicle dressed in camou©age attire resembling uniforms worn by security personnel.
Three weapons and ammunition looted from police armouries were recovered from their possession. The NIA registered a fresh case on July 19 under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections of law to probe the larger conspiracy.
Local youth recruited
The NIA said Anand Singh mobilised local youth for armed training to escalate the ethnic strife and in July 2023 participated in a weapons training camp organised in Selloi Langamai Ecological Park near Keikhu by PLA cadres where 8090 young men received training in handling rearms. “Singh assisted in imparting training on battle drills and jungle warfare to the participating youth,” the NIA stated.
The agency said the criminal intent of targeting the rival community has been established and corroborated by the use of camou©age attire they were wearing “to evade detection by security personnel”.
The NIA said the “ChinaMyanmar” module of NSCN-IM based in Myanmar decided to extend support to banned terrorist organisations Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup and People’s Liberation Army of Manipur to inltrate their cadres into the Indian territory for carrying out terrorist attacks. “For this purpose, NSCN-IM promised a safe passage along with arms, ammunition, and other terrorist hardware to Manipur-based terrorist outts,” it added.
NSCN-IM promised a safe passage to Manipur-based terrorist out ts, the Central agency says