NIA wants Myanmar to nab Khaplang, raid hideouts

NEW DELHI: Tightening its noose around rebel Naga group NSCN-K chief S S Khaplang, the National Investigation Agency ( NIA) will approach Myanmar and ask it to arrest him, search his hideouts and identify the outfit's camps near the border. The agency has also readied a request for red corner notices against Khaplang and 20 other terrorists of the outfit, which will be forwarded to Interpol in a week.

The NIA probe revealed that Khaplang is a Myanmar national now and so the country is being asked to take action against him. Earlier, the agency had issued a red corner no tice against the outfit's military commander Niki Sumi.

The agency , top sources said, through a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) request, is sharing the coordinates of NSCN-K camps on the border area along with photographs, from where planning of the June 4, 2015 ambush on an Army convoy was done.

“The MLAT request being sent to Myanmar has solid evidence like addresses, verified pictures, family and contact details, camps and bank transactions to prove that conspiracy to attack Army convoy was hatched by Khaplang and his associates from the border area,“ said a senior government official. Sources said the MLAT request would be sent on Monday through the home ministry with all details of Khaplang and 25 other members including Niki Sumi's known addresses and photographs.

The agency has asked Manipur and Nagaland police as well as local authorities to identify the assets of 26 NSCN-K members involved in planning and execution of the attack, so that they can be attached.