Shillong: Director General of Police (DGP) Idashisha Nongrang has said that recruitment attempts by the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) are currently mainly to contacts and conversations on social media platforms.
The DGP said that Samuel Wahlang Pahsyntiew, who recently surrendered before police in Mairang, has been cooperating with investigators. Preliminary interrogation revealed that most recruitment efforts were carried out through social media interactions, during which the HNLC also asked interested individuals to submit their EPIC (voter ID) details.
She said that apart from Banjop and Donbok, who were actively involved with the HNLC and were arrested in Umsning, many others had only been in contact with the outfit and had not formally joined.
According to Nongrang, the recruitment attempts targeted youths with promises of attractive payments and appeals made in the name of the community and the homeland.
Replying to queries, the DGP said there is no confirmed information yet on how many new recruits have travelled to Bangladesh, but investigations indicate that those contacted were from various parts of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region.
Nongrang urged youths to think carefully if approached with offers of recruitment and financial incentives, pointing to the example of several individuals who later chose to surrender after realising the consequences.
