Police unearth network of illegal taxation

Dimapur police have unearthed a well organized network of illegal taxation on transport and commercial vehicles reportedly controlled by some cadres of the NSCN (IM) and run from the offices of transport and goods carrier companies and agencies based in Dimapur, police said today.
The racket first came to light when the Anti-extortion Team of Dimapur police arrested one Raja, a manager of a Guwahati-Nagaland carrying service and transport, with its office at Golaghat Road on August 30 for collecting illegal tax from transport trucks in the name of Company Goods Carrying Agency, suspected to be a fake agency, Additional SP, Dimapur Wati Jamir said in a release today.

Police investigating the case discovered a big and well-organized network of illegal taxation running into crores of rupees and involving more than 17 transport and goods carrier companies in Dimapur.
Based on specific inputs collected by the investigating team, the office of one M/s Freight Carriers (India) Pvt Ltd located at MST Road Dimapur was raided and searched on Monday, the ASP said adding that it led to the recovery and seizure of 43 illegal lorry challans of Company Goods Carrying Agency (Imphal, Manipur) on six wheelers and ten wheelers respectively travelling from Guwahati to Imphal, illegal lorry challan of All Manipur Commercial Agency (Imphal, Manipur) on six wheelers from outside Imphal and cash amounting to Rs 42,370.

All the challans were signed and reportedly bore the signature of one John, an NSCN (IM) cadre, the release said.
The managers of the company identified as Rajbir Sharma and Vikash Sharma were taken into custody for questioning.

During interrogation, Police said, the two managers have stated that the collection of money was made from all Manipur-bound transport trucks by issuing the seized lorry challans on the direction of the cadres of NSCN (IM).
They also revealed that all the transport companies based in Dimapur are involved in the illegal collection.
Based on their disclosure, managers and owners of the transport companies in Dimapur were summoned in connection with the case and their statements recorded, police said.

All transport companies involved have been locked and sealed pending investigation on the direction of the district administration and police. The managers and owners of the transport companies were released on execution of PR Bond. Further investigation is on, Police added.