Insurgency leader running fake currency network; Meghalaya insurgency group GNLA’s former chairman Champion Changma arrested in Guwahati

Guwahati city police arrested Champion Sangma, Gohanch Sangma and Cherian Momin with FICN worth Rs 15 lakh. The accused had Rs 10,000 in original, while the rest was white paper.

Guwahati: Former GNLA chairman Champion Sangma was arrested in the Khanapara area of Guwahati along with two others for his involvement in an alleged Fake Indian Currency Notes or FICN scam on Tuesday (February 22) by a team of Guwahati city police.

The Special Squad and an EGPD team from Basistha police station busted the Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) scam after it intercepted a Bolero vehicle (registration ML07B7998) following specific intelligence inputs. A thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a purported bundle of FICN. Interestingly, the racket is led by the former chairman of banned insurgency group Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), Champion Changma. Arrested Sangma was a DSP in Meghalaya police and created the insurgency group GNLA in 2009. GNLA operated from Bangladesh with the help of anti-Indian Islamist forces. Meghalaya police arrested Changma in 2011 when he was pushed back to Indian territory by the Bangladesh security forces. Out on bail after a brief stint in jail, the insurgency leader Changma is involved in the FICN racket.

A special squad of Assam's Bashista Police station arrested Champion Sangma, along with Gohanch Sangma and Cherian Momin, who received the FICN worth Rs 15 lakh. The accused had Rs 10,000 in original while the rest was white paper, the police source said. 

In a preliminary police investigation, arrested Champion R Sangma (46) said the pack is worth ₹15, 00,000/- However, it had only ₹10,000/- in original currency notes & the rest was white paper. 

Two others – Gohanch Sangma (36) from Songsak and Cherian Momin (28) from Tura in Meghalaya – were also arrested in this matter. City police are investigating the matter in detail to crack the entire racket and are also investigating the Bangladesh and North-East insurgency groups' connection in the FICN network.