Aizawl: In a joint operation launched by Champhai police and Serchhip Battalion of the Assam Rifles, a cache of three AK-47 rifles with three magazines was seized at Samthang area in Champhai district of Mizoram in the early hours of Wednesday.
Sources within the Assam Rifles told EastMojo that a 52-year-old man named Keilianthanga, a resident of Dihai, Myanmar has been arrested and handed over to the Champhai police for further investigation.
The weapons were discreetly hidden in a house at Samthang village in Champhai district of Mizoram.
In recent times, Mizoram has seen a spike in smuggling activities in weapons, drugs, gold and exotic animals. The state has a porous border with Myanmar and adding to this, there are provisions for free movements through the Indo-Myanmar border.
This situation is being exploited by smuggling cartels to carry out large-scale illegal activities along the border.
Also Read: Mizoram: After 2 decades, ZNP dissolves to merge into ZPM
On August 4, the Assam Rifles recovered 199 live rounds of .22 ammunitions and arrested two persons in this connection. The arrested persons were identified as Lalhmangaiha, 24, of Lawngtlai district of Mizoram, and his accomplice Limona, 31, a resident of Bangladesh.
The Assam Rifles and the state police department have been maintaining strict vigil to curb illegal cross-border activities.