Imphal: Suspected Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) militants have kidnapped a German national from Maphou Dam area in Manipur's Thoubal district, about 20 km East of Imphal and demanded a huge ransom, official sources said.

The militants abducted Heinrich Wolfgang from Maphou area on March 23, when he was on a visit along with a German woman identified as Edda Kirlies to inspect activities of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the sources said.

The two Germans and the NGO officials were stopped by armed militants when they were approaching Maphou Dam area. Wolfgang was whisked away to an unknown destination, while his compatriot and the others accompanying them were left behind.

The militants have demanded at least Rs one crore as ransom, the sources said.

"Hectic efforts are on to trace Wolfgang and police and para-military forces in the state were doing their best to locate him," the sources said.

The Union Home Ministry has also been informed of the abduction, they added.

Wolfgang had arrived in Imphal along with Kirlies on March 21 on the invitation of United NGO Mission to monitor the activities of some NGOs in the state privately funded by some agencies in Germany.

Sources said some NGOs including Fraternal Green Care and Voluntary Village Development, formed to promote peace and harmony after the Kuki-Naga clashes in the early 1990s, had taken up some projects to rehabilitate the victims with the help of some funding agencies in Germany.

PTI