Manipur Police on Sunday recovered a cache of 29 firearms, a bomb and a large quantity of ammunition during a search operation in Imphal East district, following specific intelligence about the movement of armed miscreants in the area.
According to police, the operation began at around 6.15 pm on July 26 after security agencies received credible inputs regarding the presence of armed individuals in the Wakha Ching area. A team from the Special Commando Unit, Khabeisoi, led by Dr S. Ibomcha Singh, IPS, Commandant of the 6th India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and in-charge of the Special Commando Unit, along with Officer-in-Charge Subedar L. Bibekananda Singh and personnel of the 6th IRB, immediately launched frisking, checking and search operations.
During an intensive search of the forested area on Wakha Hill, opposite the Shelloi Langmai Composite Farm, security personnel discovered four suspicious plastic bags concealed in the jungle.
The search resulted in the seizure of 29 firearms, including five Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), two INSAS rifles with straight butt, two INSAS rifles with folding butt, two AK Ghatak rifles, one INSAS Light Machine Gun (LMG), six .303 rifles, three double-barrel breech-loading (DBBL) guns, seven single-barrel breech-loading (SBBL) guns and one pump-action gun. Several magazines compatible with the recovered weapons were also seized.
Security personnel additionally recovered one lathode bomb, 530 rounds of .303 live ammunition, 64 rounds of 7.62 mm SLR ammunition, 19 INSAS live rounds, six rounds of 5.56 mm carbine ammunition, 40 drill cartridges and 17 chargers for .303 rifles.
Police said search operations are continuing in the area to locate any additional arms, explosives or other incriminating materials. The recovery is part of the ongoing drive by security forces to trace and remove illegally concealed weapons from different parts of the state.
