Extortion decreases, drug and liquor crimes rise in Nagaland

DIMAPUR — Crime data from the Nagaland Police Headquarters (PHQ) covering the period between 2021 and June 2024 revealed a notable decrease in reported extortion cases across the state.

According to the PHQ report covering 26 crime heads falling under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 16 under the Special & Local Laws (SLL), Dimapur registered the highest number of extortion cases in recent years—99 out of 160 cases state-wide in 2021, 65 out of 100 cases state-wide in 2022, 49 out of 90 cases state-wide in 2023, and 25 out of 37 cases state-wide till June 2024. (Refer table)

This data suggests a year-on-year decrease in reported extortion cases, both in Dimapur and across Nagaland.

It further revealed that certain districts reported markedly low numbers of extortion cases. Kiphire, for instance, registered zero extortion cases in the provided timeframe. Newer districts like Tseminyu and Shamator similarly reported no extortion cases.

Phek witnessed a dramatic decline, from 12 cases in 2021 to a single case in 2022 and two cases in 2023, with no cases reported as of June 2024.

However, Kohima’s Superintendent of Police (SP), Bharat Laxman Markad raised concerns about potential underreporting, stating that many extortion cases go unregistered as public do not complain because of “various underlying issues.”

Notably, this downward trend in extortion stands in contrast to the concerning rise of other serious offences.

Crimes registered under the NLTP Act (Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act) and the NDPS Act (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) have seen a marked increase over the same period.

State-wide, in 2021, there were 126 cases registered under the NLTP Act, followed by a significant jump to 230 cases in 2022 and a further increase to 370 cases in 2023. As of June 2024, 154 cases have already been registered.

Similarly, NDPS Act cases rose from 154 in 2021 to 242 in 2022 and further to 357 in 2023. By June 2024, 116 cases had already been registered, maintaining the upward trajectory.

For crimes under both the Acts, Dimapur registered the highest number of cases.

In 2021, Dimapur registered 32 cases under NLTP Act, 72 cases in 2022, 126 in 2023 and 44 in 2024 (till June).

Likewise, cases under the NDPS Act rose from 38 in 2021 to 71 in 2022 and further to 89 in 2023. By June 2024, at least 26 cases had already been registered.

Meanwhile, between 2021 and 2023, Mon district stood out in the “Offenses against the State” category, registering 9 cases in 2021, 3 in 2022, and 1 in 2023. Notably, all other districts reported zero cases under this crime head during these years, including a clean slate for all districts in 2024.

Additionally, no cases related to Counterfeit Currency or FICN (Fake Indian Currency Notes) crimes were registered in any district during the entire period. Similarly, no crimes were registered under the UAP Act (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act), ITPA Act (Information Technology Prevention Act), Essential Commodities Act, and SC/ST PoA Act (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act) across the state from 2021 to June 2024.

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