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NSCN-K (Isak) and NSCN-K (Khango-Hokato) trade allegations
Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 12
The alleged busting of a Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) racket has resulted in 2 Naga Political Groups trading allegations. The incident, which surfaced on September 12, had the NSCN-K (Isak) revealing the finding of what they said was an investigation into racketeering of FICN in Dimapur.
According to its MIP, the investigation culminated in the nabbing of a 29 year-old woman, who was complicit in the printing and distribution of FICN under the patronage of the NSCN-K (Khango-Hokato).
The group’s MIP Secretary, Anato Swu told a press conference on September 12 that her statement contained information pointing to Ato Kilonser of the NSCN-K (Khango-Hokato), Hokato Vusshe bank-rolling an FICN printing racket from a property the latter owned. She reportedly revealed other names pointing to an inter-state racket, involving people from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
The woman was nabbed on August 29 from Dimapur with FICN in Rs 500 denomination totaling Rs 8.3 lakh. Swu said that other printing paraphernalia were also confiscated, including chemicals and laser scanner. As per the woman’s statement, he said that the printed FICN was exchanged with real currency with partners operating in Manipur, Mizoram and Dimapur. Rs 10 lakh in FICN was exchanged for Rs 5 lakh, Rs 20 lakh for Rs 15 lakhs and so on. The woman, and others, reportedly served as local conduit getting a commission for every exchange.
Major Kuputo Ayemi, who was said to have been part of the investigation, disclosed that the woman claimed that she was to exchange some of the FICN at the bank on the day she was apprehended.
Its MIP later issued a statement stating that the NSCN-K (Isak) under the leadership of Col (retired) Isak Sumi has no intention of maligning the NSCN-K (Khango-Hokato). It stated that the investigation was launched based on complaints about a “currency tripling scheme.” It said that the magnitude of the scam required exposure for public awareness and not a conspiracy to implicate Vusshe. It said that the “confessional statement” of the accused woman in itself was evident of the people involved.
Khango-Hokato refutes
The NSCN-K (Khango-Hokato) refuted the allegation, its Chief Secretary, Mhoyamo Kithan, terming it “totally baseless and untrue.” “It is a well planned conspiracy to tarnish the image of the Ato Kilonser. There is no involvement of the Ato Kilonser,” Kithan told the media.
He said that the smear campaign against Vusshe likely stems from grudge held by Isak Sumi against the former.
As opposed to the claims made by the NSCN-K (Isak), Kithan said that they were also on the trail of the woman who was claimed to have been nabbed. According to him, the woman had first approached them with a proposal to run an FICN enterprise. “We played along to get the mastermind and get to the bottom of the racket,” he said. He added that they will continue with their investigation.
He further said that the woman was apprehended on August 29 but was released and apprehended again on September 10. “We see a big conspiracy here,” he said. He added that the woman was released by the NSCN-K (Isak) soon after the announcement in the media on Friday.
Kilo Kilonser, Viniho Kiho said that making baseless allegations would result in untoward incidents.
Woman to surrender to police
Meanwhile, the accused woman addressed the media informing that she will be turning herself in to the police citing safety concerns. She refuted the statement made by the NSCN-K (Khango-Hokato), while alleging that one of her associates had proposed the plan for printing FICN, and subsequently introducing her to Hokato Vusshe.
She claimed that Vusshe made an initial investment of Rs 5 lakh for buying the materials required.
“I am being isolated and accused of running the racket alone but there are many others involved,” she said, while naming three individuals— Tokai, Kanoka and Kiheka, as her close associates in running the racket. She said that she acquired the method for printing fake currency from the internet.
Besides, she claimed that it was Viniho Kiho, who pronounced the dedicatory prayer when the material for printing the FICN was initially set up.
