Security forces in Manipur have arrested a suspected cadre of the Kuki National Front (MC) and recovered arms, ammunition and narcotics in separate intelligence-based operations in Churachandpur and Imphal East districts, officials said on Tuesday. In the Churachandpur operation on Monday night, a joint team of Manipur Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Assam Rifles intercepted a suspicious vehicle at Kingkin village near M. Songgel and arrested Letkhothang Khongsai, 23, a resident of D. Lhangjol village.

Source: Nation Press (IANS)

The vehicle was carrying one foreign-made AK-series rifle, one foreign-made MA1 rifle, 240 rounds of ammunition and two packets of brown sugar weighing about 1.027 kg, according to the reports. Officials said Khongsai disclosed during preliminary questioning that he is a cadre of the Kuki National Front (MC), a group under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement with the government — a claim attributed to officials that remains under investigation.

Source: NEWire

In a separate operation, a CRPF Quick Action Team and Manipur Police commandos recovered a cache from the foothills of Bongbal Khollen in Imphal East district. The combined seizures across both operations included a .303 light machine gun, 9 mm pistols, two 12-bore double-barrel guns, three 12-bore single-barrel guns, three 36 mm hand grenades without detonators, one Chinese hand grenade, one MG-2 rifle grenade, a Pompi shell, four wireless radio sets and a large quantity of assorted ammunition, officials said.

Source: Nation Press (IANS)

Officials said search operations and area-domination drives are continuing across fringe and vulnerable areas of the state, with convoy escorts maintained on the Imphal-Jiribam (NH-37) and Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati (NH-2) highways. The recovery of foreign-made weapons and narcotics together in Churachandpur, which borders Myanmar, has again raised official concern about cross-border smuggling routes and a drugs-arms nexus funding militant outfits in the border districts.

Source: Nation Press (IANS)