The recent seizure of over 700 kilograms of Manipur-bound explosives in Mizoram by Assam Rifles and local police is not only alarming but it also brings forth several questions. The vehicles carrying the explosives were intercepted on Sairang Road, traveling from Lengpui to Aizawl, with the intention of transporting the explosives to Manipur via Tipaimukh. As many as 28 cartons of True Blast slurry explosive, each weighing 25 kilograms, along with four cartons of detonator caps, totalling 750 kilograms in weight, were discovered.
Earlier, security forces recovered two IED bombs from one individual on March 7 in Moreh. The IED bombs were seized by a team of 5th Assam rifles while carrying out frisking and checking at Chikkim village till Bypass Road near Moreh college along NH 102 Imphal Moreh Road which is 3km away from Moreh Police station. Assam Rifles had also recovered and seized as many as 3,000 rounds of sniper rifle ammunition and 10 Passive Night Sight (PNS) devices in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram, on March 7.
With these three separate incidents in mind, we may try to analyse the question of who is feeding the Kuki militants with sophisticated arms and ammunition besides explosive material and from where. Ever since clashes broke out, we had been wondering about the supply of sophisticated arms and ammunition along with the crude bombs fired by locally made Pompi guns and other mortar launching guns. Now and then, we see Kuki militants taunting the village volunteers in the valley with the latest range of automatic rifles on social media.
All this time, the Kuki militants seem to have a limitless supply of ammunition and explosive material while in the valley the talk is about limited ammunition and donation for purchasing ammunition from the black market. The agonised cry of a village volunteer with no ammunition in the fight still rings in the ear of everyone. Chief Minister N Biren Singh had hinted at the involvement of Myanmar mercenaries in the Manipur conflict.
Foreign mercenaries from Myanmar likely to be KNA-B cadres were involved in attacking security forces at Moreh and the Kuki militants who attacked the state forces had sophisticated weapons in their possession, even bullets which could penetrate bullet proof vehicles. State Governor Anusuiya Uikey had also referred to the presence of certain inimical elements who could have infiltrated from across the border to fuel the current unrest in Manipur.
Keeping aside the matter of involvement of foreign mercenaries, we have looked deeper into the question of who is footing the bill for all the sophisticated arms and ammunition besides explosive material which is fuelling the conflict. There is talk about drug cartels taking care of the expenses in furthering the clashes. But one has to be sure.
Again, 750 kgs of explosive material and openly carting it across the Mizoram state is no mean feat. Certain Mizo politicians had been openly supporting the call of Kuki-Zo populace in Manipur in the name of solidarity of the Zo brotherhood. One must be thankful to the Assam Rifles and Mizoram police for the big seizure.
The Assam Rifles had been extra-vigilant and assertive in Mizoram in keeping taps on drug consignments and now with the presence of arms smuggling in the state, one hopes central agencies may delve deeper into it further. One knows for sure that, the drug smuggling route had by and large shifted to Mizoram because of the ethnic strife in Manipur. There are two routes connecting Mizoram and Manipur directly.
The old Tipaimukh road was upgraded into NH 150. The highway stretch starts from Seling (NH 54) in Mizoram through Tipaimukh-Imphal-Ukhrul-Jessami in Manipur and terminates at a junction with NH-53 in Nagaland. The other highway is NH 102Bn, earlier known as Guite Road. It passes through Churachandpur, Singngat, Suangdoh, Mualnuam, Sinzawl and Tuivai Road in Manipur.
Traffic on this highway had picked up after the clashes. Security measures are practically nil on both highways and it is crucial for central forces particularly Assam Rifles to keep in the flow of drugs and illegal arms shipments.
