Militant outfit using ‘sympathizers’ to raise fund: Police
SHILLONG: A day after the arrest of the three overground workers of proscribed HNLC, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang on Thursday revealed that the outfit at present is facing severe fund crisis.
The city police on Wednesday foiled HNLC’s bid to kidnap the son of an exporter by arresting three ‘workers’ of the banned outfit.
Police arrested the trio — Donkupar Nongrum, Michael Pakynten and Khraw Wanniang, before they could execute their plan of kidnapping the 18-year-old boy.
“The HNLC presently is in dire need of money. It is evident from the fact that the outfit is using these ‘sympathizers’ to carry out extortion and kidnapping on its behalf,” Kharkrang said while taking to newsmen here.
When asked about the number of the overground workers, the SP said “they are handful of them.”
“This (Wednesday’s kidnapping bid) was the first assignment which the outfit had given to these overground workers,” Kharkrang said adding that the banned group did not have the sufficient number of regular cadres to carry out the job.
“Presently, the number of HNLC cadres in Bangladesh is dwindling,” SP said.
While briefing about the attempt to kidnap of the 18-year-old boy, Kharkrang said that the blue print to carry out the kidnapping was prepared a month back.
The SP said that the prime accused of the crime (Michael Pakyntein) has disclosed they were carrying out the kidnapping at the behest of outfit’s senior cadre ‘Bah Hep Metal’.
He also informed that the three accused had been remanded to eight-day police custody.