Saudi nationals held, NIA probe on
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 30 2013 :
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is currently investigating to check whether two Saudi Arabia Nationals who were apprehended by Assam Rifles from Imphal-Moreh highway are connected to Al Qaeda or whether they are operatives of any terrorist groups.
Troops of 29th Assam Rifles nabbed the two individuals from Tengnoupal while they were travelling in a Tata Sumo from Moreh towards Imphal on June 16 this year because they could not produce any valid documents, informed a source.
After they were handed over to the police, the two individuals were sent to prison.
Manipur Police, apart from questioning their nationality, also questioned the purpose of their visit to Manipur.
Although the arrested foreign nationals claimed that they came to the State to do a research work on Islamic culture, they could not speak Arabic properly.
Meanwhile, a team of NIA landed at Imphal some days back and they have already started questioning the Saudi nationals to check whether they are related to Al Qaeda or any other terrorist groups.
The NIA team is also studying whether the two Saudi nationals' visit to North East India was related to the communal clash between Buddhists and Rohingyas in Myanmar.
However, no definite information can be elicited from the duo till date.
Nonetheless, the State Government is working to communicate with the Saudi Arabia embassy on the arrest of the two.