Manipur: Urea smuggled; 4 militants arrested

Imphal, Oct 8: Troops of 20 Assam Rifles (AR) under 26 Sector, IG AR (S), seized 13 trucks loaded with urea and arrested four suspected militants with a huge cache of arms in the Manipur-Myanmar border area near Molnom, Chandel district, PRO of AR on Wednesday, Oct 8 said. The PRO said 13 trucks, seized on Tuesday, Oct 7, were carrying 1980 bags of urea.

Two AK 47 rifles, 6 magazines, one M-16 rifle with 7 magazines, nine lethode bombs, 188 rounds of AK 47 and 126 rounds of M 16 were also recovered from the suspected Kuki insurgents.

The cadres were trying to smuggle out urea to Myanmar to make drugs, said the PRO, adding that the drugs are then routed back to Manipur.

The money earned from smuggling urea is used to procure arms and equipment by militant groups, he added.

Following intelligence inputs that militant groups were behind smuggling chemicals and urea to Myanmar for making drugs, the AR had been keeping a sharp eye on the National Highway 39.

To avoid check posts, the rebels and drug mafia started using side roads/lateral tracks to transport the urea and chemicals, the PRO added.

UNI