National Investigation Agency arrests in 'terror funding' case angers NSCN (IM)

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Masansosang Ao, a close associate of Alemla Jamir, wife of a senior leader of Naga insurgent group NSCN (IM), days after she was arrested in connection with an alleged terror funding case.

The NIA on Sunday said Ao, a resident of Dimapur in Nagaland was arrested at Delhi airport on Friday and was taken into its custody after he was produced in a court there.

The agency said investigations revealed that Masasosang Ao is a close associate of main accused Jamir and is actively involved in transfer/mobilisation of terror funds for NSCN (IM).

The two arrests angered the outfit, which termed it as arbitrary action at a time when Naga groups were about to sign a final agreement with the Centre to end the decades-old Naga conflict. It said the action by the NIA would result in trust deficit in the minds of Nagas as the Centre in 2002 signed an agreement to lift the ban on NSCN (IM) but adopted "carrot and stick policy" when they were inching closer to a final settlement.

"The unrestrained excessive activities of NIA will certainly reverse the clock back towards the pre-ceasefire period which witnessed intensive militarization, violent conflict and serious violation o human rights. The situation will certainly go out of control if the GoI does not take corrective measures in the true spirit of the ongoing political dialogue between and GoI and the NSCN," the outfit said in a statement recently.

The NSCN (IM) is in ceasefire with the government since 1997.

NIA arrested Jamir, wife of Phungthing Shimrang ex-army chief of Naga National Army with a cash of Rs. 72 lakh in Delhi airport on December 17 last year.

"During the investigation, it was established that this money was part of a bigger criminal conspiracy relating to channelizing of the extorted levy amount collected from the businessmen/contractors of Nagaland and neighbouring states and this amount is being used for the furtherance of terror activities of NSCN (IM)," the NIA said on Saturday.

The agency also seized another Rs. 1.2 crore during searches conducted after Jamir's arrest. It also identified more than three dozen bank accounts having deposits of more than Rs. three crores suspected to be terror funds of NSCN(IM).