Manipur: NIA Files Fresh FIR Linking NSCN(IM) Cadres to Rs 18.85 Crore Ukhrul Bank Robbery

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a new FIR in connection with the audacious robbery of Rs 18.85 crore from a Punjab National Bank branch in Ukhrul, Manipur, on November 30, 2023, alleging that the heist was executed by armed cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN/Isak-Muivah) to fund arms procurement in Myanmar.

The robbery occurred at the bank’s Viewland branch, where CCTV footage captured ten masked men wielding advanced weapons storming the premises at 5:42 PM. The assailants held bank staff at gunpoint before fleeing with the massive sum.

Following instructions from the Union Home Ministry, the NIA took over the investigation from the Manipur Police on September 8, 2025, to probe a broader conspiracy.

The FIR alleges that the operation was led by P Joseph, alias P Jackson, a former Major promoted to Lt. Col in the NSCN(IM), hailing from Roni village in Kamjong district, Manipur. The stolen funds were reportedly intended to bolster the group’s strategic position in Myanmar through the purchase of sophisticated weaponry.

The Home Ministry’s decision to involve the NIA was prompted by reliable intelligence implicating NSCN(IM) cadres. On July 30, 2025, Nagaland Police arrested three key NSCN(IM) members, including P Joseph, in Dimapur, who were subsequently handed over to Manipur Police the following day.