Thai national who formed China-North East terror link in NIA custody

New Delhi, Dec 10: The National Investigating Agency (NIA), which is probing several cases of terror in North East, received a shot in the arm with this deportation from Thailand.

After several years or talks and heaps of documentation, Thai National Wuthikorn Naruenartwanich alias Willy (59 Years), was extradited from Thailand and brought to India in compliance of the extradition order passed by a criminal court in Bangkok Thailand on March 31, 2014.

Wuthikorn Naruenartwanich alias Willy had appealed against the order of extradition in the Appellate Court in Bangkok which was rejected on Nov 4, 2015.

The custody of Willy was given to Chief Investigating Officer of case on Dec 8 by the Government of Kingdom of Thailand. He was brought to New Delhi and was arrested. He is being produced in the NIA Special Court, New Delhi for seeking his Police Custody.

A major shot in the arm for the NIA:

Willy Naru was the go in between man for the North Eastern militants and the Chinese gun suppliers. The extradition of Willy Naru is a big deal for the NIA since he is a Thai national and securing the extradition of foreign nationals is never an easy job.

The NIA had put up a strong case backed with solid evidence before it made out a case with Thailand seeking the extradition of Willy Naru.

The NIA had told the Thai authorities that Naru is responsible for brokering deals between Chinese arms dealers and militants operating in the North East.

Naru had filed an appeal in the Thai court against the extradition and the same was rejected. He is likely to be brought to India by next week.

Naru is a direct link between the Chinese arms dealers and the North Eastern militants. India has often complained about a Chinese hand in North Eastern militancy.

Naru had been brokering deals for various outfits operating in the North Eastern states. Naru worked undercover and used his spa as a front in Bangkok.

After India had made out a case against him, he was arrested in Aug 2013. The NIA had alleged that Naru would procure arms from NORINCO (North China Industries Company), arms company in China and supply it to the militants.

In one of the chargesheets filed by the NIA it is stated that some of his deals ranged between supplying 70 to 1,000 guns to the militant groups. The arms that were supplied by him included light machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, the AK series automatic rifles.

One militant group from the North East had even sought 3,00,000 rounds of ammunition from him according to the NIA chargesheet. He was even paid 8 lakh US dollars as a part payment for the consignment.

The NIA states that as per the deal Naru would have to ensure that the arms would reach the Cox Bazaar in Bangladesh from where it would be collected. The arms would be delivered by the Chinese dealers at a port in South China and then moved to Bangladesh.

OneIndia News