Newmai News Network
Imphal | April 6
Manipur police on Saturday recovered a “war-like-store of arms and explosives” in a joint operation with the central security forces in Bishnupur district of strife-hit Manipur.
The recovered items were one sten-gun carbine with two magazines, one 9 mm pistol, one modified 303 rifle, nine HE hand grenade, three smoke bombs, five 51 mm mortar shells, one 2-inch mortar shell, one detonator, four walkie talkie (WT set) of different company along with two chargers, two mobile phones, two smoke shells, eight 7.62 mm ammunitions, two 5.56 INSAS ammunitions, two AK ammunitions, one tube launcher, one helmet, three pairs of jungle boots, three bullet proof vests, one rucksack bag and one sleeping bag, police said.
The items were found in three different gunny bags and recovered from the front side of the Maibam Lotpa Ching under Nambol police station of Bishnupur district today morning.
The police suspected the war-like-store belonged to militants who were supposed to be taking shelter in the area.
No one was, however, arrested during the operation conducted by a joint team of state police commandos and personnel of the CRPF based on specific input about the movement of armed miscreants in the area, the source added.
Following the recovery of the war-like-store, the joint team further conducted an extensive search operation Maibam Lotpa Ching Mamang Leikai.
The recovered articles were formally seized and handed over to the Nambol police station for further investigation and legal action, the police added.
The police in the strife-hit state have been conducting search operations in the fringe and vulnerable areas of the state along with the state and the Central security forces to recover arms, ammunition and explosives in the hands of the miscreants, particularly those looted from the state police and security forces during the initial stage of the ethnic violence unfolding in the state since May 3 last year.
The operations were intensified in the backdrop of ensuing Lok Sabha polls in which voting will take place in two phases –on April 19 and 26 – for the two parliamentary seats. On Friday also, an operation in the fringe Terapishak Natekhong area of Kakching district led to the recovery of a cache of arms and ammunition. A police source said that two SMG carbines along with two empty magazines and four MMK 1A hand grenades were recovered in the operation.
