Guwahati: Security forces on Monday arrested two militants from Manipur’s Churachandpur district along the India-Myanmar international border and seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, narcotic drugs, and cash from their possession.
The security forces while carrying out an operation at Churachandpur’s Chaljang area arrested two cadres of the Chin Kuki Liberation Army (CKLA), a non-Suspension of Operations (SoO) militant organisation, and seized a total of six sophisticated arms, 109 live rounds of ammunition, 2.5 kilograms of opium and over cash worth Rs 4.86 lakh.
The arms include two 5.56mm INSAS rifles, one MQ assault rifle, one AK-47 and M16 assault rifles each, and one sniper rifle fitted with a telescope. The ammunition include 48 live rounds of 7.62mm ball bullets, 57 live rounds of 5.56mm INSAS ball bullets and four live rounds of 7.62mm sniper ball bullets. The security forces also recovered one binocular, four radio sets and one radio set charger.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the Manipur police wrote, “Today (23.10.2023) Security Forces arrested 02 (two) cadres of non-SoO group CKLA from Chaljang, Churachandpur District along the Indo-Myanmar border and recovered the following items: (i) 06 arms (5.56 mm INSAS Rifle-02, MQ Assault Rifle-01, AK 47 Rifle-01, M16 Rifle-01, Sniper Rifle with telescope-01), (ii)109 ammunitions (7.62mm Ball ammunition-48, 5.56 INSAS Ball ammunition-57 and 7.62mm Sniper Ball ammunition-04), (iii) 01 (one) Binocular, 04 (four) Radio sets and 01 (one) Radio set charger, (iv) Approx 2.5 kg of opium, (v) Cash-Rs 4,86,500/- (Four Lakh eighty-six thousand five hundred only).”
The security forces while conducting search operations in the fringe and vulnerable areas of Imphal West, Imphal East, Kakching and Churachandpur districts, dismantled five bunkers, set up by miscreants, in Dolaithabi hill and Sadang hill areas of Imphal East district.
The Manipur police later wrote on X, “Search Operations and Bunkers Dismantled: Search operations were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of Imphal-West, Imphal-East, Kakching and Churachandpur districts. During the operations, 05 (five) bunkers were dismantled in Dolaithabi Hill and Sadang Hill areas of Imphal East district.”
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Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the arrests "yet again underscores a transnational plot aimed at destabilising both Manipur and our nation." "In a major breakthrough by Manipur Police and Central armed forces, multiple weapons, ammunition, drugs and cash have been apprehended from Myanmar-based militant group CKLA," the chief minister said on X.
"Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken up cases wherein it was particularly stated that there exists a transnational conspiracy by Myanmar and Bangladesh-based leadership of terror outfits to wage war against the Government of India by exploiting the current unrest in Manipur," he added
"Today’s apprehension of CKLA cadres and the recovery of weapons has yet again underscores a transnational plot aimed at destabilizing both Manipur and our nation," said the CM.
Meanwhile, the Manipur police have rounded up as many as 1,516 persons in connection with violations of the law in different districts of the state. On the other hand, the security forces also ensured movement of a total of 269 vehicles along the National Highway-37 and 222 vehicles along the National Highway-2, all carrying essential items.