BY PC Bureau
January 30, 2026: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet in connection with the daring robbery of ₹18.85 crore from a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Ukhrul district, Manipur, carried out on November 30, 2023. The high-profile heist, one of the largest cash robberies in the region’s recent history, was allegedly orchestrated by armed cadres of the Eastern Flank of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) — NSCN(IM).
According to investigators, the operation was led by self-styled Lt Col (then Major) P. Joseph alias P. Jackson, a resident of Roni village in Kamjong district, close to the India–Myanmar border. The robbery was reportedly aimed at generating funds for procuring sophisticated weapons to strengthen the outfit’s operational capabilities in Myanmar.
READ: NIA Chargesheet in Jiribam Massacre: Special Court Takes Cognisance
The Heist
On the evening of November 30, 2023, around 10 masked and heavily armed men entered the PNB branch in Viewland area of Ukhrul town through the staff entrance. They overpowered the bank manager, staff members, and security personnel at gunpoint, forced open the bank’s strongroom, and fled with ₹18.85 crore in cash.
CCTV footage captured key moments of the robbery, which later played a crucial role in identifying the perpetrators.
Probe and Arrests
The case was initially registered by local police but was transferred to the NIA in September 2025 following a directive from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, amid concerns over insurgent financing and cross-border militant links. The agency re-registered the FIR and linked the robbery to a broader NSCN(IM) conspiracy.
On July 30, 2025, three hardcore NSCN(IM) cadres, including the alleged mastermind P. Joseph, were arrested by Nagaland Police from Dimapur and handed over to Manipur Police the next day.
The NIA has filed the chargesheet against Jackson Phinao, believed to be P. Joseph alias P. Jackson, an NSCN(IM) cadre currently residing in Lungpotang, Ukhrul. He was reportedly arrested from his native Roni village in Kamjong district.
The chargesheet was submitted by the NIA’s Imphal branch before Special NIA Court-1, Manipur, on January 23, 2026, along with another chargesheet related to the Jiribam killings case.Investigators believe the case exposes a dangerous nexus between insurgency, organised crime, and cross-border militancy in the Northeast. Further investigations are underway to identify additional conspirators and trace the movement and end-use of the stolen funds.
