Modus operandi with a touch of novelty: Extortion money routed through banks
Bishnupur cops bust MR man-KCP (MC) nexus
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 23 2010: Bishnupur District Police Commandos have arrested a Rifleman of 8th MR and a woman who allegedly extorted money from the public for the proscribed KCP-MC (Lamngakpa faction) and ensure the extorted amount reaches the armed cadres through bank accounts.

Addressing a press conference in this connection at Bishnupur District Police Headquarters, SP Konsam Jayanta informed that the duo were arrested during a massive operation launched by the Police Commandos in different parts of Thanga and its surrounding areas from November 21 to 22 .

Identifying the arrested duo as Rifleman in 8th MR (Rifleman no.0400668), Md Salatur Rahman (24) s/o late Md Tomba and Mairembam Ningol Ningombam ongbi Premila Devi alias Ibemcha alias Victoria (35) w/o Boyai, the SP disclosed that Rifleman Salatur is attached with Ist MR and is deployed in a bank as a security guard.

The con-couple giving a new definition of duping people

Both of them have been working for the proscribed outfit for the last one and half year under the leader of the armed group identified as Oinam Shyam alias Lamngakpa (32) son of Gourakishore of Kumbi Khunou and Wahengbam Tomba (34) son of Menjor of Kumbi Awang Leikai, the SP further disclosed.

On the new modus operandi utilised to extort money from the public by the arrested duo, the police officer informed that Rifleman Salatur and Premila Devi opened 24 bank accounts, 18 saving accounts in SBI Bishnupur Branch and six other saving accounts in Punjab and Sind Bank, Irilbung Branch.

Premila has a saving account in her name in the Punjab and Sind Bank while the rest of the accounts have been opened under fictitious names and addresses.

While she provided all the required money for opening these bank accounts, Rifleman Salatur did the necessary process such as filling up the forms and submitting documents.

Through these bank accounts, the money extorted by them from the public are deposited and the same are encashed outside Manipur by the armed cadres with the help of blank cheques signed by the account holders and ATM cards, the SP explained.

In return for their service, Rifleman Salatur and Premila received 10 percent of the amount for every transaction (deposit as well as withdrawal), he added.

The SP further informed that the transaction statement of the account numbers found on the passbooks seized from them have been requested from the banks concerned and further transaction through these accounts have also been stopped.

Moirang Police Station has registered a case and further investigation is on, the SP said.

Interestingly, the bank account number of Anish Khan, against whom there is already a police complaint over a cyber crime related case of withdrawing Rs 50,000 from the bank account of a lady in Kolkata, was among the pass books seized from them.

Identifying herself as Christ Johnson of an Arab-based humanitarian service group, Anish Khan withdrew the amount from the bank account of Mamta Chatterjee of Kolkata.

Mamta met Anish alias Christ Johnson through the social networking website, www.facebook.com.

One day, Anish alias Johnson called up Mamta telling her that he has brought Pound 7000 but the Customs officials have seized it at the airport.

As he repeatedly made the call asking for Rs 50,000 and her bank account number for withdrawing the amount, Mamta finally gave her bank account number to Anish alias Johnson.

After withdrawing Rs 50,000 from the bank account of Mamta, the mobile phone of Anish alias Johnson remained switched off.

When Mamta investigated, she came to known that the bank account number (ATM) through which the amount had been withdrawn had been opened in SBI Bishnupur Branch and it is in the name of one Md Anish Khan of Bishnupur Ward no.2 .

Subsequently, she lodged a complaint against Anish Khan by sending a fax message to the SP of Bishnupur district.