Thaindian News

Guwahati, Dec 6 (IANS) Several northeast separatist groups have floated finance companies and doing business in Assam’s main city Guwahati besides setting up bases in cities outside the region.

“It is true that some militant groups or individual militant leaders have opened finance companies in Guwahati and even giving loans to people, besides carrying out businesses,” Assam police chief Shankar Baruah told journalists.

“All these have been done to legalize their black money extorted from various sources.”

Assam Police have in the past few months arrested more than a dozen separatists from Guwahati, most of them belonging to Manipur-based outfits.

“We have been able to bust a few such business and finance rackets,” Baruah said.

Baruah said the rebel groups had changed their modus operandi by setting up bases in New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and even in Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal.

“Most of them operate out of rented accommodations and use either telephones or the internet to slap extortion notices and carry on with their activities,” the police chief said.

A number of rebel leaders from Assam and Manipur were arrested in recent months from Bangalore, Chennai and New Delhi.

“We are fully aware of the militant plans. Hence maximum vigil has been maintained to ensure that their objectives are not fulfilled,” he said.