Inspector General (IG) Range Lima Sunep Jamir on June 26, stated in the purview of maintaining law and order situation in the state, Nagaland Police will continue its ‘mandated duty of anti-extortion drive relentlessly, irrespective of various UG Groups/Over Ground Sympathisers (OGS)/Anti-social elements masquerading or taking the name of various UG groups’, reports East Mojo. Jamir revealed that since 2015, ‘893 cases against various rebel groups including the NSCN-IM, NSCN-Khango, NSCN-R, NSCN-U, NSCN-YA, NNC/FGN/ and other Northeast outfits’ in which ‘a total of 1,238 persons have been arrested for their involvement in various crimes like violation of Arms Act, Explosive Acts, murder, offense against the state, abduction/kidnapping for ransom, UA (P) Act, NSR, extortion and robbery’. Of these cases, ‘247 cases were registered against NSCN IM with 361 persons arrests, 197 cases against NSCN U with 267 arrests, 63 cases against NSCN-R with 91 arrests and 198 cases against NSCN (YA) with 263 arrests’. While speaking about other armed outfits, IG range reported that 10 cases were filed against NSCN (KHANGO) with 10 person arrested and148 cases were also filed against NNC/FGN and 187 arrests were made. As for Northeast (N-E) outfits including in the states of Assam and Manipur, 30 cases were registered and 59 arrests were made. Jamir further informed that among the cases registered, extortion cases have been highest to be reported in five years especially in Dimapur (507 cases with 723 arrests) and Kohima (105 cases with 126 arrests).
Elaborating on the law and order scenario especially on the extortion activities, Jamir stated that since June 1, 2020, Nagaland Police conducted multiple operations. The first arrest was made on June 11, 2020, when an extortionist was arrested by the Kohima Police along with an accomplice. Another extortionist was arrested on June 16 and on 17, an absconding accused was arrested. Again on June 23 when two persons were confronted by the police where one accused was arrested and another accused person died in a scuffle. He also said in the past week more than nine have been arrested in Dimapur in this regard. On June 24, in a joint operation by the police and the Assam Rifles, four cadres of NSCN-Khango group were arrested along with arms and ammunition and extortion slips. Though due to lack of formal complaint by the aggrieved party at most of the times, extortion activities have risen, Nagaland Police are still trying their best to put a tab on these activities through their operations.