Mizoram Police arrest Myanmar-based militant leader; seize arms
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Representational.
New Delhi: Mizoram Police arrested a Myanmar-based militant group leader and four others, seizing arms from them. Officials said that it was one of the largest arms busts in Mizoram, NDTV reported.
The busted arms were for trading between the Myanmar-based militant group Chin National Front (CNF) and the United People’s Democratic Front, which is active in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Following the bust, police said that the operation flags the transnational arms smuggling in the region as well as the ongoing threats to the regional stability there. They said in a statement that five were arrested in connection with the arms seizure, and one of them was a key leader of the Myanmar-based insurgent group CNF. The arrest of the high-profile person is a significant achievement in countering insurgency in the state, they said.
"This operation highlights the transnational character of illegal arms dealings and emphasises the ongoing threats to regional stability... With this catch, a serious threat to regional peace and stability has been neutralised," NDTV quoted Mizoram Police.
Police further said that the operation was carried out with the cooperation of “a sister intelligence agency. The weapons seized included six AK series assault rifles, over 10,000 rounds and 13 magazines. They added that a case has been filed on the matter, too.
Mizoram shares borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. In Myanmar, ethnic rebels fight the junta, and more than 40,000 refugees have taken shelter in the state.