In a major breakthrough, security forces have recovered 328 weapons and 8,665 assorted ammunition in separate search operations conducted in different valley districts of Manipur, officials said.
Security officials have called it the ‘biggest single-day recovery’ as part of the police department’s ongoing operations launched to recover the stolen weapons and ammunition from the armouries of state forces.
“The recovery was made by a combined team of Manipur police, Central Armed Police Forces, Army and Assam Rifles in the intervening night of June 13 and June 14 on receipt of specific intelligence report,” one official said.
The recovered weapons include 151 SLR rifle, 65 INSAS Rifle, 73 rifles, 5 carbine gun, 2 MP5 gun, 12 Light Machine Gun, and 6 AK series rifles. Of the total ammunition recovered, 3,534 are SLR rounds, 2,186 INSAS rounds, 2,252 .303 rounds, 234 rounds of AK series, 20 9mm rounds, 10 hand grenades, three lathode shells, and seven detonators.
“These intelligence-based operations mark a major achievement for the Manipur police, the security forces, in their continued efforts to restore normalcy, maintain public order, and ensure the safety and security of citizens and their property”, the DGP office said in a statement.
The statement also reiterated: “Manipur Police is committed to a peaceful and secure Manipur. The public is urged to cooperate with the police and security forces and report any suspicious activities or information related to illegal weapons to the nearest police station or central control room”.
With this, over 5,000 weapons and more than 60,000 ammunition have been recovered to date, the police officer added. Over 6,000 weapons and over one lakh ammunition were looted from state forces’ armouries since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023.
To recover the looted weapons, the state government, in coordination with other security agencies, have been conducting search operations. In addition, the state also asked the public to surrender looted and illegally held weapons to nearest police station or security camps, assuring no punitive action against such voluntary surrender.
In February, across both the valley and hill districts, with 307 weapons being handed over to security forces. Of the total surrendered weapons, 246 weapons were handed over to the state by Meitei outfit, Arambai Tenggol, in a ceremony held at the 1st Manipur Rifles in Imphal, while 61 weapons were handed over by other volunteer forces from both the valley and hills.
The significant development came days after Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla issued a deadline asking youths from both the valley and hills to surrender looted and illegal weapons to avoid any punitive action and to restore peace and normalcy in the state.
