IMPHAL: The newly-inaugurated Khongsang railway station in Manipur is being used by miscreants to smuggle illegal arms and ammunition into the strife-torn state.
This was alleged by tribal body in Manipur – the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on Friday (July 28).
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The ITLF also alleged that the Manipur government has “full knowledge” about illegal arms and ammunition being smuggled into the state via the Khongsang railway station.
“The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has learned that Manipur’s newly opened Khongsang railway station is being used to ferry guns and ammunition into the state with full knowledge of the state government,” the ITLF stated in a statement.
The tribal body from Manipur also alleged that “these weapons will be used to attack Kuki-Zo tribal settlements”.
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It also asked the “relevant authorities to look into the matter and stop the use of trains to bring more weapons into the state”.
Also read: Nagaland: NSCN-IM leader held for supplying arms to groups in Manipur, outfit vows action
The ITLF added that the weapons and ammunition, which were earlier stolen from armouries of different security forces in Manipur “by Meitei mobs… are most likely being used in the majority community’s ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign”.
It may be mentioned here that a senior NSCN-IM leader has been apprehended by the troopers of the Indian Army on charges of supplying weapons to warring groups in strife-torn Manipur.
The NSCN-IM leader was apprehended by the Indian Army troopers while trying to smuggle a huge cache of arms and ammunition to Manipur.
The apprehended NSCN-IM leader has been identified as Apam alias Ngathingpam Shimrah, a “deputy Kilonser” of the Nagaland-based outfit.
Meanwhile, the NSCN-IM has vowed to take action against the apprehended leader of the outfit, if he is found guilty of supplying arms to warring groups in Manipur.
Also read: PM Modi’s ideology set Manipur on fire, says Rahul Gandhi
The NSCN-IM has expressed “a rude shock” on the apprehension of one of its senior leaders.
“The matter is under investigation and if found guilty befitting punishment will be awarded against him,” the NSCN-IM stated in a statement.
Notably, the apprehended NSCN-IM leader was supplying arms to warring groups in Manipur “in collusion with one Nagaland police inspector”.
It may be mentioned here that an inspector-ranked official of the Nagaland police was arrested earlier for stealing ammunition from the state police’s armoury and selling them to groups in Manipur.
The groups in Manipur, to whom these arms and ammunition were supplied to are allegedly involved in massacre of civilians and gun battles with security forces in the trouble-torn state.