Guwahati, Sept. 21: The botched oil theft operation on Friday night in Karbi Anglong has brought to light a new money-making mechanism evolved by militant groups.

Police said the NSCN (I-M) and the Dima Halam Daogah have been involved in oil pilferage in the area bet- ween Rangapahar and Dhansiri for quite some time but yesterday they ran out of luck.

Though Friday’s operation was conducted by the Naga militant outfit with the help of local residents, the Dimasa outfit was also known to pilfer oil on the route, Karbi Anglong superintendent of police K.K. Sarma said.

In fact, Friday’s theft spot was close to a DHD camp.

A senior officer at the Assam police headquarters in Guwahati said militants in the region have of late been trying to “diversify” their sources of income.

“Earlier, extortion and occasional bank robbery was the only source of income for militants. But this has changed over the years. They are involved in all sorts of crimes now,” he said.

Besides oil pilferage, militants have been dealing in cars, arms, drugs, even stocks and real estate.

“No militant group is able to attract youths any more on the basis of their ideology. The only allurement to militancy now is easy money. The militant outfits cannot provide vehicles, houses and large money to each and every cadre. So they provide logistical support for crimes like oil theft and car-lifting. Generally, they don’t allow the cadres to peddle drugs, since there is the risk of cadres turning into addicts themselves,” the officer said.

Nagaland, however, fai- led to establish the NSCN (I-M)’s link in the botched operation.

Of the eight bodies rec-overed from the incident site, Assam police claimed yesterday that two were of Naga rebels in battle fati- gues.

Dimapur superintendent of police, N. Lotha, however, countered Assam police’s version.

“Neither of the deceased are Nagas nor were they from Naga areas. But we are investigating the matter and very soon we will know who the real culprits are,” he said.

Apart from militants, other organised gangs, too, are involved in these operations, Assam police said.

On Friday night, about 100 people were involved in the operation, the police said.