Lens on transactions in Manipur: FIU probing payments above Rs 20 lakh in last six months to ascertain if ethnic violence is sponsored

The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is looking into high-value transfers and transactions in Manipur in the last six months to investigate if there were any links with the recent ethnic violence in the state, people with knowledge of the matter told ET.

The agency is looking into all financial transactions above ₹20 lakh from January 1 onwards, they said.

"All the high-value transactions in the last six months including foreign remittances, high-value donations to charitable institutions are under the scanner," an official told ET.


The agency has zeroed in on about 150 "suspicious" accounts of individuals, including those of some local leaders and a few charitable institutions, which show an unusual pattern of money transactions, the official added.

These 150 accounts were also spread out in the neighbouring states of Mizoram and Nagaland.

The agency is also probing transactions of two Manipur-based companies with previous records of money laundering, officials said.

Five online betting and gambling companies are also being looked into. Two of these sites were blocked by the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) in February.

Focus also on external links
In February, MeitY initiated a process of banning and blocking 138 betting apps and 94 money lending apps with Chinese links on an 'urgent' and 'emergency' basis on the recommendations of the ministry of home affairs.

"It is premature to jump to a conclusion, but we are thoroughly investigating the angle if the violence in the state is financially sponsored or supported by some vested groups," the official cited earlier said. The probe is already on, the official said, without divulging anything further.

The FIU, an agency under the department of revenue, is also looking into recent transactions of about half a dozen people with links with narco trade, including a regular high-value transaction history with Myanmar, one of Asia's main sources of illegal production and supply of drugs.

"There were many high-value transactions in January, most of which are linked to Myanmar," the official said.

Manipur has witnessed violent ethnic clashes since May 3. So far, more than 120 people have been killed and over 350 injured in Manipur and thousands displaced.