Manipur Police have arrested an active member of a banned insurgent group and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition in two separate operations, officials said on Friday.The arrested individual has been identified as Chungkham Kiran Meitei, also known as Lepshinba (23). He is a resident of Khumbong Mayai Leikai under Patsoi police station in Imphal West district. According to police, he was picked up from Mantripukhri area in Imphal East district on March 19 during an ongoing drive against insurgent networks operating in the valley.Officials said the accused is an active cadre of the proscribed United People’s Party of Kangleipak (UPPK). His arrest is part of continued security operations aimed at weakening underground groups and preventing unlawful activities in the region.
On the same day, security forces carried out another operation in Chandel district, which shares a sensitive stretch along the Indo-Myanmar border. During the search operation in the general area of Molcham village under Molcham police station, a significant quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered. The seized items include one AK-47 rifle along with two magazines, a 9mm carbine machine gun with a magazine, two grenade detonators, two additional magazines of different weapons, two grenades, and 194 rounds of live ammunition. In addition, five Baofeng VHF radio sets and their USB chargers were also recovered from the site.
Officials said the recovery highlights continued concerns over the movement of illegal arms through the hill districts, particularly in areas close to the international border. The presence of communication equipment along with weapons suggests possible coordination among insurgent groups. Security agencies believe such recoveries point to attempts by underground groups to regroup and maintain their activities despite sustained operations by law enforcement agencies.
