Security forces recover M16 rifle, grenades in Manipur; two drug peddlers held with ₹1 crore brown sugar haul

Guwahati: Security forces have recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition in Manipur while also arresting two inter-state drug peddlers and seizing 2 kg brown sugar from their possession during the past 24 hours.

An official said that the security forces, including the Assam Rifles, Manipur Police and other Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, in joint operations, have recovered the arms and ammunition and other materials from Imphal East and Thoubal district.

The recovered arms included a foreign-made M16 rifle, an SBBL PAG, two .22 rifles, six 9 mm pistols, along with a magazine each, and a repeater gun.

The recovered ammunition includes five grenades, two detonators, and some cartridges of different calibres.

The official said that the Manipur Police arrested two inter-state drug peddlers along with approximately 2 kg of brown sugar valued at over Rs 1 crore from the Sekmai Pangaltabi area of the Imphal West district.

The arrested illegal drug traders were identified as Mohammad Mustakim, 28, and Umar Khan, 30, both residents of Thoubal district.

Security forces continue to conduct a crackdown against the militants, and search operations and area domination are being carried out in the fringe, mixed-populated and vulnerable areas across districts, the official said.