Security Forces Seize Arms Cache and Nab Two Extortionists in Manipur

Imphal: Security forces swept through the Wabagai Turenmamei riverbed on August 11, pulling a cache of weaponry from an abandoned hideout. The joint operation in the Kakching district lasted three hours and targeted insurgents operating near the Hiyanglam police station.

The haul included one .303 rifle, a 9mm pistol, three carbines, and three single-barrel guns. All firearms had empty magazines. Personnel also seized a 51mm mortar bomb, three tube-launching devices, two hand grenades, and 18 live rounds of mixed-calibre ammunition. Additional kit included an INSAS rifle bayonet, bulletproof plates, covers, communication sets, and military fatigues.

Officials confirmed the sweep was part of a larger push to clear illegal war-like stores from the state. "The operation led to the recovery of one .303 rifle with an empty magazine, one 9mm pistol with an empty magazine, three single-barrel guns and three carbines with empty magazines," according to official reports.

Two separate arrests hit the extortion trade in the same window. Thoubal commandos and 33 Assam Rifles nabbed 42-year-old Puyam Inaocha Singh in the Langathel area. Singh, a resident of Langathel Laikol Bazar, is an alleged cadre for the proscribed Kanglei Yaol Kanna Lup. Nearby, forces caught 27-year-old Yumnam Paremba of Wabagai Mayai Leikai under the Hiyanglam police station. Authorities identified Paremba as an active member of the banned National Revolutionary Front of Manipur.