No gun-running in Mizoram: Lal Thanhawla

Shillong, Feb 19 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister LalThanhawla today dismissed reports that his state was beingused by gun-runners as a transit to supply arms and explosivesto Northeast militants.

"The state is no longer used by gun-runners. Whosoeveris indulging in this have been arrested. Many of them werebrought to book," Lal Thanhaula told reporters on thesidelines of a function here.

"Earlier of course it was the free state forgun-running and counterfeit currency business," he admitted.

"Before I took over all these were happening; culpritswere never brought to book. But no militants are there now,and we do not allow them to use our territory - neither fromBangladesh nor from Myanmar," the chief minister said.

Two months back a key accused in 2008 Assam serialblasts, B Jwangkhang alias George Boro of NDFB, was arrestedfrom Mizoram capital town Aizawl along with his PSO.

The National Investigation Agency, probingterror-related cases involving an Assam militant outfit �Black Widow, had arrested a key arms dealer from Mizoram whohad confessed to have supplied several consignments of arms tothe outfit.

Security agencies have often been stating that Mizoramwas being used by anti-national elements as a transit tosupply arms brought from China and Myanmar to militants inNortheast.