Huge cache of arms and ammunition seized in Mizoram

Aizawl: Assam Rifles' troopers seized eight sophisticated assault rifles and twelve loaded magazines in Mizoram, police said here on Saturday.

Police suspect that the arms and ammunition might have been smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar.

"Acting on a tip-off, the Assam Rifles' jawans while carrying out the raid between Keitum and Khawlailung villages in Serchhip district seized the arms and ammunition from two Mizo men early Friday. Both were arrested," district police chief Lalringdika told reporters.

The border villages are around 120 km south of state capital Aizawl.

The arms and ammunition include five AK-47s, three AK-56s and twelve magazines loaded with AK series rifles' cartridges.

Senior police and intelligence officials are interrogating the smugglers - Hmingchunga, 55, and Vanpuilala, 30.

This is the second big seizure of arms by the Assam Rifles in six months. Earlier, they confiscated eight US-made M4 rifles in Champhai district near the Myanmar border.

Mizoram, which shares a 510 km border with Myanmar and a 318 km frontier with Bangladesh, has become a corridor for arms' smuggling.

Assam Rifles' troopers are posted along the 1,643 km India-Myanmar border with Arunachal Pradesh accounting for 520 km, Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km).