Security forces in hot pursuit of gunrunners in northeast

Traffickers, crossing border, supply weapons to insurgents

Security forces have stepped up search operations against international gunrunners who are supplying sophisticated weapons to insurgents in the northeast.

The traffickers’ modus operandi is to supply guns and explosives to their agents somewhere at Moreh, border town of Manipur where thousands of people, mostly tourists and traders, converge everyday.

The guns and explosives are then stashed away in jeeps and cars for being taken to various parts of the northeast.

On Tuesday, personnel of 24 Assam Rifles deployed at Khudengthabi, on a tip-off, arrested five persons, who carrying five M-16 rifles and 750 gram of heroin, had come in a jeep from Moreh and were proceeding towards Churachandpur district adjacent to Mizoram.

The guns were found on dismantling of the jeep.

In another haul on Tuesday, personnel of 14 Assam Rifles and police seized 15 guns including light machine guns and assault rifles, and 34 hand grenades at Champhai in Mizoram.

Two persons have been arrested.

In March, 33 automatic rifles and ammunition were seized in the State.

As insurgents and gunrunners have been crossing the border without much of an obstruction, the Union government is constructing a fence.