Mizoram Correspondent

Mizoram police of India have arrested five people, including a top leader of the Myanmar-based separatist group Chin National Front (CNF), while smuggling a large cache of arms and ammunition into Bangladesh.

The recovered items include six AK-47 rifles, 10,050 rounds of ammunition, and 13 magazines.

Mizoram police arrested the people in a joint operation conducted by intelligence agencies on Wednesday, in the Saithah village area under the West Phaileng police station in Mamit district, near the Myanmar border.

The state police confirmed the matter on Thursday.

According to law enforcement, the weapons were being smuggled into Bangladesh through northeastern India.

A senior Mizoram police officer said that intelligence had been monitoring an arms smuggling deal between separatist groups from Myanmar and Bangladesh. The recovered weapons were reportedly being handed over by CNF to the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF-P), a separatist group in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

One of the arrested individuals is suspected to be a senior leader of CNF, said police officials.

Another police official said the operation sends a strong message to illegal arms traders and separatist groups in the region.

A case has been filed at the West Phaileng police station, and efforts are underway to dismantle the smuggling network.