Karnataka

NIA seizes ‘terror’ funds from Bangalore

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UPPK

Bangalore, Nov 4, 2013, DHNS: In the biggest haul of “terror” money, exposing the chain of terror outfits’ funding, sleuths from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seized Rs 1.14 crore from the account of a City businessman on Sunday.

An official communique from NIA termed the money as the investment of proceeds of terrorism in the real estate market of the City. NIA has also said that this has been its largest haul of cash in its history.

NIA said that the seizure followed the arrest of N Shanti Meitei, a self-styled general secretary of People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-the United People’s Party of Kangleipak (Prepak-UPPK), a banned terror organisation operating out of Manipur. The organisation is one of the insurgent groups fighting for ethnic cleansing of the state since 1977.

NIA sources said that they had arrested Meitei in 2012 and his investigation revealed that the group had invested its funds in the real estate markets of Guwahati and Bangalore. Further investigation into the money trail had led the NIA sleuths to the businessman in the city.

Sources said that the City businessman hails from Manipur and earlier had a business there. NIA sources say that he had befriended Meitei, who was then working as a wireless operator for Manipur police. Shanti Meitei had last year contacted the businessman and given him Rs 1.14 crore to invest in real estate business in the city on his behalf. The money had been kept in a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in the city. Sources say NIA sought the permission of the Ministry of Home Affairs and seized the deposit here on Sunday.

NIA has not disclosed the name of the businessman nor arrested him. NIA sources said that the businessman has been co-operating with the investigation in the case. Sleuths from NIA Guwahati came down to the city to carry out the operation.
Meanwhile, the businessman has admitted receiving the money from Shanti Meitei.
This being the largest seizure of cash, in the past, several moveable and immovable assets have also been seized under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, during investigations by NIA.

A case has been registered under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against country), 121A (conspiracy to wage war against country), 386 (extortion), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 471 (using forged document as genuine) of IPC and Sections 17, 18 and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

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