SILCHAR, Sept 21: After the leaders and cadres of Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-J), also known as Black Widow, surrendered with arms and ammunition, many facts about its ever widening tie ups and sources of weapons have come into the lime light. In fact, the arms shopping of the outfit has stunned the security circles. Besides, having its nexus with NSCN (IM), NDFB and other groups, it has been trying to establish links with Maoists.
Though intelligence agencies have specifically identified only one camp of the outfit at Nursurei Punji under Kullora police station in Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh, confessions by rebels from time to time have, however, revealed their strong presence in the neighbouring country for logistic and arms training, besides easy access to arsenal from diverse sources, particularly during the Khaleda Zia regime.
The coming to power of Awami League Government led by Begum Sheikh Hasina and the tightening noose around Northeast rebels as well as the very effective operation by the Indian security forces against them, the militant outfits in varying degrees have begun to feel the heat. Most important, in its own native district, DHD has lost emotional support and has been facing resistance from other ethnic tribes. Jewel Gorlosa can hardly miss the stark reality of outcry for peace in the Hills district where its own Dimasa people have been the worst victims of resultant violence.
In fact, safe corridor through the dense forest of the district to extensive international border to seek shelter in Bangladesh and Myanmar and procure arms and ammunition has sustained militancy. Added to it, large scale diversion of development funds as revealed by the Manisena Singh Commission of Inquiry and National Investigation Agency has provided fodder to the terror mill. Even the role of a former Governor of Asom in this diversion of funds has been questioned by NIA.
DHD (J) ‘Commander-in-Chief ’ Niranjan Hojai, located somewhere in China, used to oversee illegal trafficking of arms from Southeast Asia to North Cachar Hills via Mizoram. In the fast changing scenario, the break away faction of DHD (J) led by James Dimasa with 70 cadres opting out of peace no more worries the security circles as a multidimensional strategy is in place in the Hills district with strong presence of well coordinated forces and the army under the command of Brigade headquarters at Haflong. Efforts of the Jewel Gorlosa group to tie up with Maoists to procure sophisticated fabrication and IEDs through the infamous Chicken Neck Corridor could not succeed due to mounting vigilance.
The assortment of arms and ammunition, so far, deposited by the militants include AK-47 series, M-16 rifles, a few Insas rifles, rocket launchers and grenades and the marks on them indicated these were procured by the leaders and their agents through underground avenues from China and South East Asia, particularly Thailand and Myanmar. The jungle routes from Myanmar to Mizoram were meticulously utilized.
The gunrunners from Chin tribe worked as couriers to transship the arms to North Cachar Hills once they reached Champai in Mizoram’s western flank. In limelight came the notorious arms dealer Lal Liana (41) who over the years had masterminded the shipment of arms from Mizoram to North Cachar Hills.
Moreover, Kolkata too emerged as an important centre of arms supply to Black Widow. It is to be recalled that, investigating into an arms haul in Asom in February and April last, the National Investigation Agency came across the names of two Black Widow militants identified as Malsawmkimi and George Lalthang.
While Malsawmkimi is a resident of Ranlun Vngthan under Bumgkum police station, Lalthang lives in Aizwal. Both were frequent visitors to Kolkata and stayed in hotel or private residences. They were arrested by the Special Task Force police recently. (Source – The Sentinel)