IMPHAL : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to investigate the robbery of over Rs 18.85 crore from a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Manipur in 2023.

The incident occurred on November 30, 2023, at the PNB branch in Viewland, Ukhrul district, according to the NIA’s FIR. Authorities said the robbery was allegedly carried out by armed cadres of the eastern faction of the NSCN/IM (National Socialist Council of Nagaland/Isak Muivah), led by self-styled Lt Col (then Major) P Joseph alias P Jackson from Kamjong district’s Roni village. The group is believed to have aimed to procure sophisticated weaponry to strengthen its position in Myanmar.

The case was registered following an order from the Union Home Ministry dated September 3, 2025, after Joseph and other cadres were arrested by Nagaland Police on July 30, 2025, and handed over to Manipur Police the next day.

The Ministry noted the gravity of the offence, its national and international ramifications, and the potential to unearth a larger conspiracy, prompting the NIA to take over the investigation.

Manipur has witnessed ongoing ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities, leaving at least 260 people dead and thousands homeless since May 2023. The state has been under President’s Rule since February 2025, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Birendra Singh.

The NIA’s probe aims to bring clarity to the robbery and its links to wider security threats in the region.

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