Guwahati: Ten people were chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in relation to a noteworthy Mizoram guns and explosives seizure case. This case demonstrates a sophisticated trafficking network operating along the Indo-Myanmar border and is connected to militant groups located in Myanmar. The accused are identified as Lalrintluanga, Laldinpuia, Zoremsanga, Lalbiaktluanga, Lalrinsanga, Zothanmawia, Henry Siangnuna, J Rohlupuia, Laldinsanga, and David Lalramsanga in the chargesheet that was filed with the NIA Special Court in Aizawl, Mizoram. Several of the accused are currently fugitives who are citizens of Myanmar.
The ten people have all been charged for actively participating in the illegal trafficking of weapons, ammunition, and explosives under different provisions of the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges are related to an event that happened in May 2022 outside Kelsih Village, under the jurisdiction of Kulikawn Police Station in the Aizawl region. During that incident, two vehicles were found to have a sizable cache of explosives, weapons, and ammunition. All four of the car’s occupants were taken into custody by the security agency. Later the case transferred to the NIA as foreign militant groups and individuals were involved in the arms smuggling case.
Investigations by the NIA have revealed a plot that was masterminded by rebel organisations in Myanmar, working with affiliates in both Myanmar and Mizoram. The plot’s objective was to acquire weapons and explosives to aid militia groups fighting Myanmar’s current government in their continuing armed conflict. Lalrinsanga, a Myanmar native residing in Aizawl, was the main organizer of the illicit trafficking activities in this plot. Lalrinsanga is accused of establishing relationships with authorised explosives dealers David Lalramsanga and C Laldinsanga, as well as their friends Zothanmawia and Lalbiaktluanga. They obtained and shipped a lot of explosives to Myanmar together. The investigation by the NIA also exposed the role of additional defendants in providing the rebel organisations with illicit weapons and ammunition.
The inquiry also revealed the involvement of Aizawl arms merchants, who were crucial to the plot and frequently provided explosives and illicit weapons to Myanmar citizens travelling to Mizoram. Important evidence linked the cargo to an explosive company in Guwahati, including batch numbers and QR codes on the weapons and explosives that were recovered. The NIA is still looking into the larger network that is involved in this cross-border trafficking operation with the goal of breaking up the supply lines that are supplying the insurgency in Myanmar.
