Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 25
An estimated Rs 10 crore in demonetised currency is suspected to have been funnelled into Nagaland since the demonetisation declaration was made by the Prime Minister on November 8. Official sources speaking on condition of anonymity disclosed that the cash stash was transported via air on two occasions.
Contrary to reports in various media outlets citing that as many as 4 chartered planes had landed in Dimapur during the period, the sources quoting flight schedule stated that two chartered planes arrived at the Dimapur airport post-November 8. As per the sources, the first such plane landed on November 13 to depart the next day on November 14. An approximate Rs 5-6 crore was suspected to have been transported on the date, which was dispersed to various accounts.
Income Tax investigators were reported to have tracked down the money and its points of origin, the sources said, and added that it is also connected to Naga businessman, Anato Zhimomi. The stash of Rs 3.5 crore was transported on the second trip on November 22, which was subsequently recovered by the IT in Dimapur on November 24.
While it was initially reported that an account belonging to Zhimomi was “frozen”, it has now emerged that another account was also frozen with the source stating the 2 accounts put together totalled over Rs 4 crore.
As regards Amarjeet Kumar Singh, he was suspected to have been more of a “courier” than the actual owner of the money. It is suspected that cash belonging to different individuals was pooled to be transported for conversion, the source stated.
Singh along with Zhimomi, as per the source, were still being questioned by the IT in Delhi.
5 lakhs seized at Dimapur airport
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, cash amounting to Rs 5 lakhs was seized today at the Dimapur airport from a passenger, who alighted from a scheduled flight. Source informed that the passenger was a Dimapur-based non-Naga businessman. The cash was seized by the Dimapur police and “necessary intimation given to the IT for verification,” it was added.
