Meitei group presses for NIA probe into Mizoram int'l arms trafficking network bust

Imphal, Jan 18: The Delhi Meitei Coordinating Committee (DMCC), a civil organisation, has called for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the massive arms recovery operation conducted on January 15 in Mizoram.

The committee, in a statement issued on Friday, expressed concerns over the intended use of the recovered weapons and their potential impact on regional security.

The operation, carried out by Mizoram Police near Saithah village in Mamit District, dismantled a transnational arms trafficking network.

Five individuals, including a senior leader of the Myanmar-based Chin National Front (CNF), were arrested.

The DMCC highlighted that such high-profile arrests have previously been reported in Mizoram, pointing to a pattern of illegal arms activity in the region.

The DMCC’s statement described the seized weapons as “real arms”, contrasting them with past claims by Kuki-Chin militants in Manipur, who allegedly used “wooden guns” in their propaganda.

The committee expressed alarm that similar arms have been widely used during the 20-month-long Kuki-Chin military aggression against the Meitei community in Manipur.

The DMCC also addressed ongoing questions raised by security experts and the public in Manipur regarding the source of these weapons, highlighting that they were not looted from the Manipur Police.

The DMCC cited a similar operation in September 2022, where Mizoram Police seized 2,400 kg of explosives, including 1,000 detonators and 4,500 metres of explosive wire.

Following that case, the NIA registered an investigation (RC-31/2023/NIA/DLI) in December 2023, implicating “Mizoram-based individuals in illegal arms and explosives trafficking in the northeastern region”.

The DMCC has urged the NIA to conduct a thorough investigation into the latest seizure, tracing the origins and supply chains of the arms to prevent further illegal activity.