Insurgents operating from Bangladesh, Myanmar
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Arms smuggling rising in NE
September 9, 2007: (Assam Tribune) Guwahati, Taking advantage of porous border and lack of security personnel, arms and ammunition smuggling is on the rise in the North East. The two States Mizoram and Manipur , bordering Myanmar have become major points of smuggling in which security forces have made several seizures during the current year.
According to official statistics,
Mizoram Police has made 18 big seizures while in Manipur the figure has been
recorded at seven.
What is more alarming is that these arms and ammunitions are brought from Myanmar across
the border and then sent to different locations as per demand of the people.
This can be gauged by the fact that during the current year Mizoram police has
arrested several Myanmar
nationals while trying to smuggle arms and ammunition along the border.
These arms are basically pistols, 315 rifles and AK series weapons. The demand
for these weapons is increasing among the underground groups and the people who
are generally involved in drug trafficking.
“We have seized several small arms and ammunition in the bordering areas and
arrested Burmese nationals in connection with the arms smuggling,” a senior
police official of Mizoram told this correspondent today. According to him
these arms and ammunition are generally brought from Myanmar across the border and then
sent to different locations as per demand. To substantiate his claim, the
official said that two arrested Myanmar
nationals–Niwanaw and Lalrammawia– during questioning admitted that arms and
ammunitions were brought from Myanmar
across the border through hilly routes.
According to information, small arms and AK series weapons are brought from
Tamu, Mandalay and Yairipok areas of Myanmar with
the help of local people and then the consignments are sent to various
locations. Ukhrul district of Manipur, bordering Myanmar is said to be the most
sensitive route in which security forces have made several seizures.
The official also informed that the demand of small arms in the North East is
increasing day by day. “ For the past several years Myanmar and other South East Asian
countries have seen massive proliferation of small arms in view of growing
underground problem in the North East. Most of the small arms are brought from
these countries”, he said.
On the other hand the two districts of Manipur -Ukhrul and Churachandpur have
become focal points of arms smuggling. The Manipur Police have seized a huge
cache of arms and ammunition during the current year.
The undulating hills and forests are helping the arms racketeers to run their business without any hindrance in the North East.