The Delhi Meetei Co-Ordinating Committee (DMCC) has urged the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Mizoram Police to investigate a major arms seizure in Mizoram, suspecting its links to Kuki-Chin militants involved in the ongoing Manipur violence. The arms cache, discovered on January 15 near Saithah village in Mamit district, included six AK-47 rifles, over 10,000 rounds of ammunition, and 13 magazines. Among the five arrested was a senior leader of the Myanmar-based Chin National Front (CNF).
In a statement, the DMCC alleged that the seized weapons were “intended for trade between the Kuki-Chin militants actively involved in the Kuki military aggression against Meeteis since May 3, 2023.” Mizoram Police stated that initial investigations suggest the arms were meant for trade between the CNF and the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF-P), an insurgent group from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts. “This operation neutralized a significant threat to regional stability,” police officials noted.
The DMCC also highlighted a July 2024 NIA case involving Mizoram-based groups allegedly engaged in illegal arms trafficking. It called for intensified efforts to curb such activities, emphasizing the security risks they pose. The arms recovery, one of the largest in Mizoram, was carried out by Mizoram Police in collaboration with an intelligence agency. The case has been registered at West Phaileng Police Station.
