Assam Police apprehend 5 persons linked to major extortion network

Kohima (Nagaland) [India], July 14 : In a significant achievement, the Indian Army and Assam Police successfully dismantled a major extortion network of NSCN (IM) in Upper Assam on Sunday and apprehended five persons involved in the racket, according to an official press release by the Ministry of Defence.
After receiving the information from reliable sources, the Indian Army and Assam Police launched a joint operation to apprehend five key link persons involved in channelizing the extortion money to NSCN (IM) cadres.
"Acting on reliable information, a joint operation was launched in multiple areas of Tinsukia District, Assam, resulting in the apprehension of five key link persons involved in channelizing the extortion money to National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) cadres," said an official release.
According to the release, "A tea garden owner who received an extortion threat of Rs 10 Lakhs from an NSCN (IM) cadre was kept under surveillance. The first Over Ground Worker (OGW) was apprehended, leading to the apprehension of four more linked persons, disrupting the entire extortion chain."
This coordinated effort has dealt a significant blow to the extortion activities of NSCN(IM) in the Upper Assam region, ensuring a safer environment for the local population.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) is a Naga militant and separatist group operating mainly in the northeastern part of India with the aim of establishing a sovereign Naga state, "Nagalim", which would consist of all the areas inhabited by Naga tribes in Northeast India and northwest Myanmar.