Manipur violence: FIU investigates high-value financial transactions

The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), an agency under the revenue department, is investigating high-value transfers and transactions in Manipur in the last six months to check if there were any possible links with the recent violence in the state.

The FIU is looking into transactions above Rs 20 lakh from January 1 onwards, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET).

An official told the ET, “All high-value transactions in the last six months including foreign remittances, high-value donations to charitable institutions are under the scanner.”

The agency has zeroed in on 150 suspicious bank accounts which show an unusual pattern of transactions, the official added.

These 150 accounts were also spread out in Mizoram and Nagaland, according to the ET report.

The agency is also probing transactions of two Manipur-based companies, and five online betting companies. Two of these online sites were blocked by the IT ministry in February this year, the official said.

In February, the IT ministry initiated a process of banning 138 betting apps and 94 money lending apps with Chinese links on an ‘urgent’ and ‘emergency’ basis.

“It is premature to jump to a conclusion, but we are thoroughly investigating the angle if the violence in the state is financially sponsored or supported by some vested groups,” the official said.

Manipur has witnessed violent ethnic clashes since May 3. So far, more than 120 people have been killed and over 350 injured in the state.