Manipur Police recover weapons, including looted police weapons, from cadres of armed group

A joint team of the Manipur Police, the Assam Rifles, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has seized 67 weapons, including looted police weapons, and arrested four cadres of the United Liberation Front-Pambei (UNLF-P), the oldest valley-based armed group of Manipur, from the Lamshang area in Imphal West for the alleged crime. The Pambei faction of the UNLF signed a peace agreement with the Centre and the State government on November 29, 2023. The cadres were in the process of selling the looted police weapons when they were apprehended by the police. Police posed as decoy customers to bust the crime. The recoveries were made after a brief exchange of fire between the cadres and the security forces. According to the peace agreement, the cadres are mandated to stay within the designated camp, and surrender weapons before the police. Other than the weapons, the security forces have also seized a high quality “drone jammer” from the UNLF(P) cadres, recoveries by the Manipur Police show. A police source said the “Made in Taiwan anti-drone jammer” may have been procured from Myanmar. Over 6,000 police weapons and lakhs of rounds of ammunition were looted when ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo and the Meitei people erupted in the State on May 3, 2023. Over 4,500 police weapons have been recovered so far. Based on credible information regarding the selling of looted arms and ammunition in the Lamshang area, Manipur Police launched a special operation on May 20, the police said in a statement. “During the operation, two active cadres of UNLF (P)- Heishnam Thomas Singh (29) of Mayang Imphal Kokchai and (ii) Arambam Tomtom Singh (29) of Lamshang Heibongpokpi Mayai Leikai, were apprehended along with one INSAS LMG, three INSAS LMG magazines and fourteen live rounds,” the statement by the police said. “The weapons are suspected to be stolen, and it’s being verified where they were stolen from. While the arrest process was going on, associates of the cadres opened fire at the security forces, resulting in a brief exchange of fire,” Shivanand Surve, Superintendent of Police (SP), Imphal East, said. “Further, two more cadres who were involved in firing upon the security forces, namely, Ningthoujam Rakesh Singh and Chingakham Mahesh Singh, were apprehended. On preliminary interrogation of the arrested cadres, they disclosed that they had come to sell the seized weapon on the instruction of self-styled Lance Corporal Naorem Bijoy @ Macha of UNLF(P),” the officer said. The arrested cadres have admitted to involvement in an earlier sale of looted arms and ammunition. Subsequently, based on a follow-up operation, joint security forces from the Manipur Police, the Assam Rifles and the CRPF conducted a cordon and search operation at an unauthorised UNLF(P) camp located at Lamdeng, in which security forces recovered and secured a large cache of arms and war-like stores consisting of 29 weapons, including AK series rifles, M-series rifles, pistols, and other firearms. On Thursday (May 21, 2026), the joint security forces recovered 38 additional weapons and heavy stores comprising AK series rifles, M-series rifles, sniper rifle, carbine, shotguns, mortars, RPG-7 launcher, anti-drone jammer, and a huge cache of explosives, including grenades, the police said. “The public is requested to immediately report any information regarding looted or illegally possessed weapons to the nearest police station. Your cooperation is vital in maintaining peace, safety and security in the community. Together, we can help ensure a safer environment for everyone,” the SP said.