NSCN-K (YA) has slammed the “unfounded accusation” made on the faction by the Assam Rifles in Khonsa and the Longding district police in Arunachal Pradesh.

It may be mentioned that a joint team of AR and police in the neighbouring State had arrested three cadres belonging to NSCN-K (YA) from Wakka and Khanu villages near the Indo-Myanmar border during the joint operation on 17 and 18 June and recovered heroin-based narcotic substance worth Rs 7 lakh from them.

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In a press release, the group has maintained that the “arrested persons are civilians and the NSCN/GPRN had no connection with them and had nothing to do with their activities.” It also accused that the story was cooked up by the security forces to tarnish its image and to mislead the Naga public. It also alleged that it was “undoubtedly a desperate attempt to divert attention of India’s illegal policies and subjugation of the Naga country.”

NSCN-K (YA) asserted that it has never been involved in drug trade but had instead taken unanimous decision to transform the Eastern Nagaland into a drug free region under its new transformation policy and ‘Healthier tomorrow’ programme.

Under the leadership of President Yung Aung, the group passed a resolution in its Party meeting on 24 October 2022 to ban all forms of drugs including opium cultivation and opium trade and has since detained and arrested scores of peddlers and issued numerous final warnings, NSCN-K (YA) stated. Therefore, the accusation of the Assam Rifles is “demeaning and huge insult to the hard effort of the NSCN/GPRN and the Eastern Naga people on the war against Drug,” it added.

Read more: 3 NSCN-K(YA) cadres arrested with drugs in Arunachal district