Manipur police bust Myanmar-sourced gun racket, arrest exposes ceasefire breach

Imphal, Jul 6: Security agencies in Manipur have intensified their probe into an arms smuggling racket with potential nationwide ramifications, following the arrest of a senior leader from a Valley-Based Insurgent Group (VBIG). Investigators say the network sources foreign-made weapons from Myanmar and distributes them across India using forged documents and registered gun houses as fronts.

The racket came to light when Manipur Police cracked the case in the last week of June, leading to the arrest of four people, including Sinam Somendro Meitei alias ‘Richard,’ a self-styled Lieutenant Colonel and Project Secretary of the banned United National Liberation Front (UNLF-P).

Richard’s arrest has exposed troubling gaps in the ceasefire agreement that the UNLF-P signed with the Manipur government in November 2023. Officials allege that while the outfit publicly announced a ceasefire, it has failed to surrender weapons or provide a list of its members as required under the agreement. Instead, some cadres are accused of continuing extortion and illegal activities under the guise of peace talks.

According to officials, the investigation began on June 24 after specific intelligence was received about a gun-running network operating in the greater Imphal area. Police initially detained Lanchenba Nongthombam, proprietor of Nongthombam Gun House, who was allegedly selling firearms without proper documentation. His disclosure led investigators to Richard, suspected of orchestrating a wider smuggling network.

Security officials said the weapons were smuggled into India from Myanmar through its porous border, allegedly by UNLF-P cadres. These foreign-made arms were then sold in various parts of the country using forged documents to create a fake paper trail. One such case has already been detected in Punjab, and investigations are underway to track the distribution of these weapons in other states.

Under Section 10 of the Arms Act, importing foreign weapons into India is prohibited, except for sports persons with special permissions. Police raids at Richard’s residence yielded four US-made revolvers and pistols, one Austrian-made revolver, one Indian-made pistol, several rounds of ammunition for foreign arms, a wireless set, and high-end mobile phones.

Richard’s criminal record, officials said, dates back decades. He was first arrested in 1995 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and was later arrested in 2005 and 2006 for extortion and UAPA violations. Meghalaya Police also arrested him in Shillong in 2006. In 2003, Richard allegedly facilitated the transport of insurgent cadres between Guwahati and Bangladesh and handled illicit currency exchanges involving taka and dollars.

After his recent arrest, Richard reportedly tried to cite his involvement with the UNLF-P’s ceasefire talks to seek leniency, but officials were unmoved given the severity of the charges.

Led by Kh Pambei, the UNLF-P made history last year as the first Meitei armed group in the Imphal Valley to engage in a ceasefire with the government. However, security agencies had warned that the group’s ceasefire declaration could be an attempt to evade mounting pressure from law enforcement, given multiple allegations of extortion and other anti-social activities by its members.

The group’s demand for setting up camps near Kuki-dominated areas had also raised security concerns about possible escalations of the region’s ongoing ethnic conflicts, which have already claimed over 200 lives.

Despite the ceasefire, officials say that incidents in 2024 show UNLF-P cadres have continued violent activities, including looting arms from security forces and operating with impunity.

The investigation remains active, with security agencies working to dismantle the network’s entire supply chain and prevent the proliferation of foreign arms in India.