DMCC for NIA probe into Miz arms seizure case
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 17 2025: Delhi Meetei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) has urged the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Mizoram Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the recent seizure of arms on the outskirts of Saithah village in Mizoram.

The recovery made on January 15 within the jurisdiction of West Phaileng police station under Mamit district indicates possible links to Kuki-Chin militants involved in the violence against Meeteis in Manipur since May 3, 2023, DMCC said in a statement.

The Committee expressed concern that the seized arms were intended for trade between the Kuki-Chin militants and the Chin National Front (CNF), a Myanmar-based insurgent group.

"Mizoram Police, in collaboration with a sister intelligence agency, arrested five individuals in connection with the operation, including a prominent leader of the CNF.

This arrest marked a significant development in counter-insurgency efforts in Mizoram," it said.

Describing the operation as one of the largest arms recoveries in the north-eastern state, Mizoram police revealed the weapons included six AK-47 rifles, 10,050 cartridges of AK ammunition, and 13 magazines.

Mizoram Police have gone on record stating that the operation delivered a stern warning to illegal operators and neutralised a serious threat to regional peace and stability, noted the Committee.

The DMCC also expressed concern over the implications of the seizure, stating that such arms have been widely used by Kuki-Chin militants during the 20-month-long Kuki-Chin military aggression against the Meeteis in Manipur.

However, the questions regarding the source of arms used by Kuki militants remain unanswered, as these weapons were not looted from Manipur Police, it pointed out.

According to the Mizoram Police, preliminary investigations revealed that the arms were intended for trade between the CNF from Myanmar and the United People 's Democratic Front (UPDF-P), an insurgent group active in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, pointing to the transnational nature of illegal arms trafficking and its ongoing threats to regional stability.

The Committee also referred to past incidents, including a 2022 case in Mizoram involving the seizure of 2,400 kg Of explosives.

The NIA had reported that Mizoram-based ethnic groups were engaged in illegal arms and explosives trafficking in the northeast.

The DMCC then called for acknowledging and rewarding such operations to combat illegal arms trafficking effectively and ensure regional security.

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