The Delhi Meetei Co-ordinating Committee (DMCC) has demanded a full investigation into the recent arms seizure in Mizoram. On January 15, 2025, Mizoram Police found a large amount of weapons and ammunition near Saithah village, in the Mamit District. The DMCC is concerned that these weapons might have been meant for groups involved in the ongoing violence in Manipur, specifically the Kuki-Chin militants.
Mizoram Police reported that five people were arrested, including a leader of the Chin National Front (CNF), a rebel group based in Myanmar. The seizure included six AK-47 rifles, 10,050 AK ammunition cartridges, and 13 magazines. The police called this operation one of the largest arms busts in the state.
While the authorities celebrated the successful operation, the DMCC raised questions about where these weapons were going. They pointed out that similar weapons were used by the Kuki-Chin militants during their ongoing violence against the Meitei people in Manipur, which started in May 2023. The DMCC is asking how these groups are getting such advanced weapons since they were not taken from the Manipur Police.
The Mizoram Police’s investigation showed that the weapons were likely meant for trade between the Chin National Front (CNF) and the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), another rebellious group in Bangladesh. This points to a larger issue of illegal arms trade across borders, which threatens peace and stability in the region.
The DMCC has called on the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Mizoram Police to dig deeper into why these weapons were being transported and who they were meant for. They also declared that this was not the first time illegal arms were found in Mizoram. In 2022, the NIA discovered explosives and other illegal materials linked to trafficking in the region.
The DMCC believes that the Mizoram Police and other authorities should be recognized and rewarded for their efforts to stop illegal arms trading, as it is important to continue working together to protect the region from violence. This arms outbreak highlights the need for continued action to prevent the illegal flow of weapons and ensure the safety of people in the region. (PR)