Imphal: Manipur police on Monday arrested two cadres of a Myanmar-based militant group Chin Kuki Liberation Army (CKLA) after seizing arms and ammunition from their possession.
In a statement, police said that the cadres were apprehended from the Chaijang area along the India-Myanmar border.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the arrest of CKLA members and the recovery of weapons have "yet again underscores a transnational plot aimed at destabilising both Manipur and our nation".
"In a major breakthrough by Manipur Police and Central armed forces, multiple weapons, ammunition, drugs, and cash have been apprehended from Myanmar-based militant group CKLA," the chief minister said on X, formerly Twitter.
The seized weapons include AK47, Insas, Sniper, and M16 rifles along with a huge cache of ammunition, he said, adding that opium weighing about 2.5 kg, over Rs 4.86 lakh in cash, and various other items were also recovered.
"Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken up cases wherein it was particularly stated that there exists a transnational conspiracy by Myanmar and Bangladesh-based leadership of terror outfits to wage war against the Government of India by exploiting the current unrest in Manipur,” the chief minister said.
"Today’s apprehension of CKLA cadres and the recovery of weapons has yet again underscores a transnational plot aimed at destabilizing both Manipur and our nation," he added.
CKLA is a non-signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO). The SoO was signed by the Centre, the Manipur government, and two conglomerates of militant outfits. The pact was first signed in 2008 and extended periodically.
With inputs from PTI