NSCN (IM) denies ‘non-Naga’ recruits

Conversely puts question mark over the credibility of state police’s crime branch Dimapur, Nov. 25 (EMN): In an embarrassing public blow to the state police’s crime branch, the NSCN (IM) on Saturday claimed that the two extortionists recently caught by the latter in Dimapur were not members of the armed Naga political group. On Nov. 11 last, the Dimapur Police Crime Branch (CID) had arrested two non-Naga persons on charges of extortion, among other criminal charges. The cops had claimed that the arrested persons were NSCN (IM) cadres, prompting furious reaction – especially from Survival Nagaland and Dimapur Urban Council Chairman Federation (DUCCF). However, the NSCN (IM) on Saturday issued a press release seeking to ‘clarify’ that “those non-Naga or illegal immigrants alleged to be NSCN cadres arrested with arms and ammunition, duplicate receipt book and also seizure of controlled substances, are not NSCN cadres who were arrested on Nov. 11, 2017 by Dimapur Police Crime Branch (CID)”. It stated that the outfit was not surprised by ‘such outrageous, wild and well-framed’ allegations against the group. “It is unfortunate that organisations such as Dimapur Urban Council Chairman Federation (DUCCF) and Survival Nagaland (SN), without undertaking necessary steps to correctly identify the persons involved, has gone hastily to the local print media centres…..to malign NSCN. The Naga people are very much aware that there are variable facades behind which the same original rival operates,” it stated.