NSCN (IM) Operative Apprehended in Assam's Dibrugarh District

Dibrugarh, June 30, 2019:

A hardcore NSCN (IM) operative, identified as Khemphai Wangsu, was nabbed by the police here in Assam on Friday, along with the driver of the Wagon R vehicle (AS-04-1803) in which the operative was travelling.

The driver of the vehicle has been identified as Md Kazimuddin. The duo was arrested from Amolapatty area. A sum of Rupees 15 lakhs, which they had allegedly collected from Arunachal Pradesh, was also seized from their possession.

Official sources told Inside Northeast that the operative is being held in the Dibrugarh Police Station and is currently being interrogated.

Interestingly, three engineers of the Rural Works Department (RWD) and an LDC, all from Arunachal, have also been detained for interrogation. They have been identified as Wangpan Wangsu (JE, Longding), Likha Oma (JE, Ziro), Lostrang (AE, West Kameng), and Tensin Norbu (LDC, Tawang).

The NSCN-IM operative had reportedly arrived from Dimapur in Nagaland a few days back and had been staying at a city hotel.

Till reports last came in, the exact reason behind detaining the RWD engineers and the LDC is yet to be ascertained. However, it is believed that the arrest from Mohanbari area of two women from Vijaynagar in Arunachal, on 27 June, along with arms, has a connection with this latest arrest.

Dibrugarh, which was once known as one of the most peaceful towns of Assam, has gradually become a safe haven for insurgent outfits and many returned insurgents have trickled into the district from neighboring areas.

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