NSCN-IM cadres
File photograph of NSCN(IM) cadres. Image credit – Subhamoy Bhattacharjee

Guwahati: NSCN (I-M) has denied media reports that the Naga rebel outfit had abducted five people from Nagaland for ransom.  

In a statement emailed to media on Saturday, the publicity wing of NSCN (IM) said that the outfit ‘detained six people at the UT Correction Cell’ for various reasons.

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“Huvito was detained on April 13, 2023, for loan fraudster. Raj Kumar Das &  Raj Kumar Gupta were detained on April 21, 2023, for possessing illegal SP Capsules (15000 pc approximately) and approximately  100 kg of Ganga.  Mulutayo was detained on  April 25, 2023 for loan fraudster. Piyar Ali was detained on April 27, 2023, for possessing two soap cases of drugs (heroin) and Akito Kiba was detained on April 27 for documents forgery,” the NSCN (IM) stated.

“The UT Office considering the rampant growth of drugs users among young Naga people, especially between the age group of 15 to 25, find it necessary to curb it at the earliest possible which has now spread even to the remotest villages,” the outfit said.

“The second group of people that were detained at UT Correction Cell are frequent monetary fraudsters where they have a record of duping people on multiple occasions and still continuing to cheat people using fake land patta and buildings where most of the victims are poor innocent widows and orphans who are socially of low status and are unable to fight for their own right,…” it added.

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The outfit further said that it will continue to hunt for any anti-social element such as suppliers of drugs and other harmful chemicals which are trying to uproot the young Naga generation of their career and life and any elements trying to sabotage the unblemished and noble cause is questionable and unacceptable.

The NSCN (IM) also appealed to law enforcing agencies including Assam Rifles to “nab inter-state drug traffickers and bring them before the law if they really wanted to rescue people rather than focusing only on rescuing drug peddlers, fraudsters and criminals.”

In  a statement, Assam Rifles on Friday said that security forces rescued six civilians who were kidnapped on different occasions by the NSCN between April 13 and April 27 and ransom was demanded from their family members.

The Assam Rifles further said that five NSCN cadres were apprehended during the operation.