Itanagar: Fed up with ‘frequent’ extortion demands by the various underground groups active in the region, the people of Tirap, one of the insurgency-infested districts of south Arunachal Pradesh, in a show of resistance to such nefarious designs, on Tuesday came out to the streets and demanded that all such calls must stop immediately.
“Owing to the heightened state of security in Tirap district, the insurgents have been desperate to stock up their resources. Their attempts at extortion activities have been foiled by the security forces on a frequent basis. Their exasperation is evident on account of relentless extortion calls that has antagonized the locals in the area and led them to stage a protest against the banned underground outfits,” a release from the 6 Assam Rifles said.
It said, the locals came out in strength and unanimously voiced their protest against the nefarious activities of the insurgents through a peaceful protest rally. They displayed placards condemning the banned outfits and raised concerns regarding their own safety in view of the threats issued to them from time to time.
“They demanded that insurgents let them work and live peacefully. Fed up with frequent extortion demands by the militant groups, the locals have demanded that all such calls must stop immediately,” the release said.
During the protest rally staged by the Tirap Taxi Union, the locals also waved placards to show their solidarity with the security forces and police, while expressing their dissent towards insurgent groups for their frequent acts of brutal terror in south Arunachal Pradesh.
Lately, a surge has been noticed in mass protests in the region against the banned outfits. The improving security situation in the area can be credited for it.
As per the locals, it has been possible due to relentless operations and constant support from Assam Rifles, Tirap Police and civil administration, it added.
NSCN-IM extortion racket busted: Meanwhile, the security forces, in a major breakthrough, busted a deep rooted extortion racket of the Naga insurgent group, NSCN-IM, in Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Acting on a specific intelligence input, a joint team of the Longding Battalion of Assam Rifles and the State Police arrested a suspected NSCN-IM operative from the premises of State Bank of India, Longding branch on Monday.
During initial interrogation, the arrestee confessed his involvement in orchestrating illegal extortion network of NSCN-IM in Longding district on behalf of his handler, self-styled chief administrative officer Wanham Wangsa.
“The electronic money transfer trail traced from his smart phone exposed his intimate involvement in aiding the illegal activities of the underground faction,” official sources said on Tuesday.
Since January, the security forces deployed in the insurgency-infested Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts have carried out a series of successful operations, thus generating a sustained pressure on the underground organizations.
The recent arrest is indeed a massive blow to the illegal extortion activities of NSCN-IM and a sigh of relief for Wanchos inhabiting Longding district, sources added.
