Stolen pistol, gold, cash, huge cache of arms and ammunition found at Congress MLA’s house

New Delhi, Aug 1: The National Investigation Agency recovered a huge amount of arms and ammunition from the residence of a Congress MLA in Manipur. The recovered items included a pistol which was stolen from the Director General of Police, all agency, NIA officials said.

During the course of investigation nine persons have been arrested and three 9 mm pistol out of 56 missing pistols have been recovered from the members of various militant groups of Manipur. The custodial interrogation of the accused revealed the involvement of Yamthong Haokip, MLA from Saikul assembly constituency.

The central agency searched the premises of Saikul MLA Yamthong Haokip at Mantripukhi in Imphal East district on Monday as part of its probe into a criminal case involving 56 pistols and 58 magazines that went missing from the DG pool 'kote' (armoury) located in the premises of the battalion of Manipur Rifles, between September 2016 and early 2017.

A cash amount of Rs 26.40 lakh, gold ornaments worth Rs 20 lakh, a 9mm pistol (missing from the DG armoury), a Beretta pistol, a US-made Tomcat-32 pistol with magazine, another unlicensed pistol, two guns and 45 rounds of ammunition, including that of AK series, were recovered from the MLA's premises , the spokesperson said.

Till date, nine people have been arrested in the case and three 9mm pistols, out of the 56 missing pistols, have been recovered "from members of various militant groups of Manipur", he said. "The custodial interrogation of the accused revealed Haokip's involvement," the spokesperson added.

Found at the MLA's house:

• Cash Rs. 26.40 lakhs (Indian Currency).
• Gold ornaments worth Rs. 20 lakhs.
• One 9mm pistol bearing no. 18506735 with magazine. The Pistol is one of the missing pistols stolen from DG pool within the premises of 2nd Manipur Rifles.
• One Beretta Pistol bearing no. DAA 462616, 3032 TOMCAT-32 Auto Made in the USA with magazine. The licence no.4760/IW, expired on 30.06.2015.
• One unlicensed 9mm Pietro Beretta Gardone V.T Pistol bearing MOD.9QFS-CAL .9 PARA BELLUM-PATENTED & K57398Z, Made in Italy, with magazine.
• One DBBL gun bearing no. 65330/05 having Licence no. L/981(KPI) renewed upto 31st December, 2014.
• One SBBL gun without any mark of identification (with licence issued by ADC Kangpokpi, Senapati Distt. vide letter no.1786/May.97/ Military. The gun no. as mentioned was issued against the Licence is 27734.
• 22 rounds of live ammunition of 0.32 pistol, 15 rounds of live ammunition of 9mm pistol, 04 rounds of live ammunition of 7.62 Rifle and 04 rounds of live ammunition of 7.62X39 (AK series).