Assam Rifles personnel have apprehended a 48-year-old man near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district, recovering three AK-47 rifles, 172 rounds of ammunition and three grenades.
BY PC Bureau
November 15: Assam Rifles personnel have apprehended a 48-year-old Myanmar national with a cache of firearms, ammunition and grenades near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district. Two other suspected members of the group escaped towards Myanmar during the operation.
The arrested man has been identified as Soetunou, son of Usoe, a resident of Tamu, across the border.. He was apprehended on Saturday, November 14, near Border Pillar No. 75 following specific intelligence inputs about three individuals carrying arms and ammunition across the international boundary, according to Manipur Police.
The two other individuals managed to flee while security personnel detained Soetunou.
The recovery included three AK-47 rifles with three magazines, 172 rounds of ammunition of different calibres, three grenades, two telescopic sights and a steel ammunition box.
The grenades comprised one Chinese-made grenade, one 40 mm high-explosive (HE) rifle grenade and one M-46 Lathode grenade.
On 14th November, 2026, Assam Rifles apprehended one Myanmar national, namely Soetunou (48), s/o Usoe of Tamu, Myanmar, near Border Pillar No. 75 along the Indo-Myanmar border.
The operation was launched following specific intelligence regarding the movement of three individuals carrying arms and ammunition across the border. One individual was apprehended, while the other two fled towards Myanmar.
The following items were recovered:
i. 03 AK-47 rifles with 03 magazines;
ii. 172 rounds of ammunition of different calibres;
iii. 03 grenades of different types, including one Chinese grenade, one 40 mm HE rifle grenade and one M-46 Lathode grenade;
iv. 02 telescopic sights; and
v. 01 steel ammunition box.Further operations are underway.
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) November 14, 2026
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Further operations are underway to trace the two suspects who escaped. Investigators are also examining the origin of the weapons, the route through which they were transported and their intended destination.
It remains unclear whether the consignment was meant for any particular armed group operating in Manipur or elsewhere in the Northeast. No organisational links involving the arrested man or his two associates have been established in the police account.
Tight security on Myanmar border
The seizure comes amid continuing security concerns over illegal arms movement along the India-Myanmar frontier. Manipur shares an international boundary of approximately 398 km with Myanmar, much of it running through difficult and forested terrain.
‘The porous frontier has long posed challenges for border surveillance, particularly amid instability in Myanmar and continuing armed conflict and ethnic tensions in Manipur.
The latest recovery highlights the continuing challenge of preventing weapons and ammunition from entering the state through the Myanmar border.
