New Delhi: Entry of underground groups (UGs) into Manipur, their renewed public support, lack of intelligence inputs from locals and sale of looted weapons are the key reasons for the police and the security forces failing to make any substantial recovery of looted arms and ammunition, ThePrint has learnt.
Although the Manipur police and the security forces have been carrying out small-scale operations, they have proven to be inadequate, resulting in negligible recoveries.
In an incident reported Wednesday, a police commando was killed in a gunfight that was triggered after a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at a camp of security forces in Moreh.
According to police sources, police commandos were inside their camp when a group of people fired the RPG, followed by gunfire. While the commando identified as Somorjit Singh of 6 India Reserve Battalion was killed, others sustained injuries.
Nearly seven months have passed since 5,682 firearms were looted from police armouries and stations, primarily in the Meitei-dominated Imphal valley, but only 1,647 that is 28 percent, have been recovered. Only 22,368, that is 3 percent, of the 6.64 lakh ammunition looted, were traced.
Among the weapons looted include 215 AK 47s, 250 machine guns, 1,350 Self Loading Rifles, 1,060 .303 rifles, 825 INSAS rifles, 570 carbines and 220 pistols. As of now, only 62 AKs, 160 INSAS, 24 LMGs, 287 SLRs, 270 .303 rifles, 54 carbines, 8 MP5s, 90 pistols, 8 revolvers and 8 M16 rifles, among other weapons have been recovered.
Data from police shows that a significant arsenal still remains with local people, exacerbating the cycle of violence. Hospital data seen by ThePrint shows that bullet wounds are responsible for the largest chunk of deaths in Manipur, where the toll so far is at 205.
Moreover, the gun violence is largely being perpetrated by locals using service weapons, claimed security personnel, pointing to evidence such as the types of cartridges used, firing patterns, and the extent of damage inflicted.
“Entry of UGs, including groups that had lost all support, into Manipur is a big challenge in recovery of weapons, carrying out operations and ending the cycle of violence. This is because the public support is now with them,” a senior police officer told ThePrint.
The officer added that lack of intelligence from people and sale of these weapons in black market are also posing a big challenge. Whatever minimal recovery done by the police is with the help of surveillance and checks while most of the raids are not yielding results, the officer said.
“For any operation, intelligence is gathered through local sources but no intel is coming from the public at large, which makes it difficult to carry out raids,” the officer said. “Moreover, the sale of these looted weapons is happening in the valley. Trade of these weapons is making it even more difficult for us to locate them.”
Most people, the officer explained, are also keeping these weapons in secret underground compartments for use in case a violence breaks out.
“The weapons have become like fixed deposits for them. There is so much mistrust in people that they do not wish to part with the weapons. They are keeping weapons safely buried so that they can use them when in need.”
Manipur has been simmering since 3 May 2023, when the ethnic tensions erupted into full-fledged violence between the dominant Meitei and tribal Kuki communities. The ongoing violence has claimed over 200 lives and displaced over 50,000 people, police data show.
Return of VBIGs, rampant extortion
A second officer said that the VBIGs (valley-based insurgent groups), who were earlier pushed out from Manipur, have now resurfaced, making the situation more precarious.
These are groups who were staying put in the jungles of Myanmar but have returned to fight for their community, train them and are involved in rampant extortion and sale and purchase of looted weapons, the officer explained.
“The current conflict in Manipur has given them a chance to regroup and regain the public support that they lost. They realised that this was an opportunity for them to re-establish themselves and have now taken over ground.”
According to the source, approximately 200 to 250 cadres are said to have been infiltrated into Manipur, going by intelligence reports.
These are VBIG cadres who were part of the United National Liberation Front, and other offshoots like the People’s Liberation Front, the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, the Kangleipak Communist Party, and the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup.
Extortion, the officer explained, has become rampant with people misusing service weapons.
“Extortion in the valley, that once ceased, has become rampant again. There is public support for these cadres as locals think that they will protect them,” the officer said. “Many businessmen including shopkeepers, mall owners, hoteliers in the valley are now on target for extortion.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)