Two members of Meitei group Arambai Tenggol were arrested on Saturday for allegedly possessing nine foreign-made weapons, Manipur Police said on Monday.
Police said the weapons recovered from Laishram Tondomba Singh, 27, and Tourangbam Amarjit Meitei, 20, included seven HK33 rifles and two M4A1 carbine guns. Twenty-eight empty HK33 rifle magazines, two Glock .45 Auto pistols with four magazines, eight empty M4A1 carbine magazines, and 100 rounds of .45 ammunition were also recovered. The two were produced in court and remanded in nine-day police custody.
Arambai Tenggol has been active since the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur on May 3, 2023. The organisation claims to protect Meitei interests but has come under scrutiny from security agencies for its alleged involvement in crimes.
A police officer said the recovery of foreign-made weapons is a serious concern. “This points to a wider cross-border trafficking network. We are investigating the source of the weapons and identifying those involved in the supply chain.”
Police were probing the origin of the arms to dismantle the trafficking networks believed to be supplying militant and radical groups in the state.