68 weapons & large cache of ammo seized from Imphal West; 4 UNLF-P cadres held

Guwahati: Security forces and various law enforcement agencies in a joint operation over the last 24 hours recovered 68 sophisticated weapons and large quantities of ammunition stashed inside a rebel camp in Imphal West district.Authorities also arrested four cadres of UNLF (Pambei), a faction of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) that signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre and state in Nov 2023.Officials said the UNLF (P)was intending to sell the weapons in an illegal arms market. They said many of the weapons are suspected to have been looted from state armouries during the peak of the ethnic conflict that started in May 2023.The recoveries include 27 AK series rifles, four M16 rifles, sniper rifles, carbine, shotguns, mortars, an RPG 7 launcher, anti-drone jammer and a huge cache of explosives, including grenades.Manipur Police said in a statement that a special joint operation with Assam Rifles and CRPF was launched on Wednesday at Lamdeng under Lamsang Police Station after receiving information about looted arms and ammunition being sold in the area.Police said the security forces first nabbed two cadres — Heishnam Thomas Singh (29) and Arambam Tomtom Singh (29) — who were found in possession of one INSAS light machine gun (LMG), three INSAS LMG magazines, and 14 live rounds, which they were trying to sell. As the operation was underway, two associates — Ningthoujam Rakesh Singh and Chingakham Mahesh Singh — who fired at the security forces, resulting in a brief exchange of fire, were also apprehended.“This is suspected to be stolen, and it is under the process of verification as to where it was looted from,” Imphal East superintendent of police Shivanand Surve said.He said the arrested UNLF(P) cadres had disclosed during interrogation that they were planning to sell the seized weapons on instructions of self-styled Lance Corporal Naorem Bijoy, alias Macha of UNLF (P). “They further admitted involvement in earlier sale of arms and ammunition in exchange for money,” the SP said.In the follow-up operation, the joint security forces found an unauthorised UNLF (P) camp at Lamdeng, where a large cache of arms and war-like stores, consisting of 29 weapons, comprising AK series rifles, M series rifles, pistols and other firearms were recovered.On Thursday morning, the joint security forces further launched search operations in the vicinity of the camp and heavy war-like stores and additional 39 weapons, comprising AK series rifles, M series rifles, sniper rifles, carbine, shotguns, mortars, RPG 7 launcher, anti-drone jammer and a huge cache of explosives, including grenades, were recovered.More than 6,000 firearms were looted at the onset of the unrest in May 2023 by mobs from several police armouries, patrol teams and the exhibit room of the state forensic laboratory. About half of these looted weapons have been recovered so far.