In one of the biggest arms seizure in Mizoram, Assam Rifles on Sunday seized a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives, including 24,000 gelatine sticks (weighing 3,000 kg) and detained four people in this connection, officials said.
Assam Rifles officials said that acting on a tip-off, a team of the paramilitary force intercepted two vehicles near Kelsih village in Aizawl district and seized the arms and ammunition, which include three pump action shotguns, five 0.22 rifles, 20 boxes of pellets, seven telescopes, 44 kg safety fuse, and 100 kg of gunpowder, apart from the 24,000 gelatine sticks.
The two vehicles, which were ferrying the weapons were also seized, the official said, adding that the detainees are being interrogated by the senior officials.
An Assam Rifles statement said that use of such war-like stores could have endangered the lives of innocent people and led to various illegal activities.
“This recovery has prevented the loss of precious lives. This operation is a huge setback for all anti national activists. The operation’s success would go a long way in establishing peace and harmony,” the statement said.
Intelligence and security officials suspect that the arms and ammunition were smuggled from Myanmar, which shares 1,643 km long unfenced international borders with Mizoram, as well as Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Besides arms and ammunition, varied harmful drugs, especially heroin, highly-addictive methamphetamine tablets, also commonly known as ‘Yaba’, poppy seeds, opium, ganja (marijuana), morphine, bottles of cough syrup valued at hundreds of crores, various other contrabands, gold, and foreign cigarette are often smuggled from Myanmar to northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Manipur.
