Nagaon, June 2: An extortion drive by a Kuki militant group in different areas of North Cachar Hills district of Assam has created panic among the businessmen.

The police yesterday said that the Kuki National Front (Military Council) had served extortion notes to almost all shopowners in Haflong during the last five days demanding between Rs 30,000 and Rs 2 lakh from each of them within a week.

According to superintendent of police Bhakta Bahadur Chetry, Kuki militants migrated from neighbouring states have taken shelter in the Kuki-dominated areas of the hill district and have launched the drive with the help of its local linkmen.

On Tuesday, Haflong police nabbed two KNF (M-C) men from the district headquarters as they came to collect extortion money from a shop. They were later identified as Paumangcha Thangeu of Gaspani and Lalsemthang Lintheng of Haflong.

“The problem behind a timely operation to net the militants is that the victims do not disclose the facts for fear of any stern step by the outfits,” said additional superintendent of police (headquarters) Bidyut Buragohain.

He said security has been beefed up all over the district and the police have launched a search operation as soon as they got the information about the extortion drive. “We hope some others of the same group would be caught very soon,” he told.

The bordering hill district has become a safe haven for over 10 militant outfits of the northeastern region during the last few years.

A source in the district administration said two factions of NSCN, DHD and Kuki National Front, anti-talk faction of Karbi militant outfits, Hmar People’s Convention (democratic) and Achik National Volunteers Force are using the border areas of the hill district for their movement.

In a recent memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the North Cachar Hills unit of Autonomous State Demand Committee claimed that activities of militant groups of neighbouring states has been increasing in the eastern part of the district after the withdrawal of border outposts from the Assam-Nagaland border.

“The problem cannot be solved unless the outposts are restored,” said its president Dibulal Hojai yesterday.

Headman’s abduction: Six days after he was abducted by suspected Kuki militants from Dhansiri in neighbouring Karbi Anglong, police remained clueless about the whereabouts of Maiwel Passan, the headman of Khasi village.

Four hardcore activists of KRA were arrested from a rented house in Dimapur on Monday and the police later claimed that they were involved in the kidnapping of Passan.

“Their interrogation is continuing and our operation in search of the hostage is also going on,” said Karbi Anglong additional superintendent of police (headquarters) Atul Gogoi yesterday.