NIA arrests man in NSCN(IM) terror funding case

The NIA has arrested a person in connection with a terror funding case linked to the Naga insurgent group NSCN (IM), an official said on Saturday.

Masasosang Ao, a resident of Dimapur, was arrested on Friday, an NIA spokesperson said.

Masasosang, a close associate of main accused Alemla Jamir, was actively involved in the transfer/mobilisation of the terror funds for NSCN (IM), the official said.

He was produced before the NIA Special Court, New Delhi and taken in police custody for further investigation.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on December 20 last year, had registered a case against Alemla Jamir and others under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to probe the alleged terror financing charges linked to the NSCN(IM).

Jamir was allegedly working for the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN (IM) and was arrested on December 18 last year from the domestic terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport while carrying Rs 72 lakh cash, the spokesperson said.

Jamir is the wife of Phungthing Shimrang, "ex-army chief of Naga National Army and an executive member of Steering Committee of NSCN (IM) at domestic airport, Delhi," the official said.

The money was part of a bigger criminal conspiracy relating to the channelizing of the extorted levy amount collected from the businessmen/contractors of Nagaland and neighbouring states, he said.

The amount was being used for furtherance of terror activities of NSCN (IM), the official said.

During further searches, Rs 1.2 crore was seized and more than three dozen bank accounts having deposits of more than Rs 3 crore suspected to be terror funds of NSCN(IM) have been identified, he said.

Further investigation was underway.