Border Security Force (BSF) troops have seized a huge cache of sophisticated arms and ammunition along the Indo-Bangla border.
They also apprehended three persons in connection with the case.
The seizure has been termed as one of the biggest catches in recent years in the Northeast.
According to the BSF, acting on a tipoff about transportation of a huge consignment of weapons to the border area, a special operation was launched on the outskirts of Phuldungsei village in Mizoram’s Mamit district on Monday night.
Under the overall supervision of BSF DIG (Aizawl) Kuldeep, a BSF team from 90 Battalion, stationed at Aizwal, headed by SK Pillai, second-in-command (Offg Comdt), laid a special ambush in the target area under West Phaileng PS.
During the ambush, the BSF team intercepted two vehicles including one Mahindra Thar (MZ-01K-5262) and one Mahindra Pickup (MZ-01L-4949) on the South Phuldungsei -West Phuldungsei Road, 15 km aerial distance from the Indo-Bangla border.
While conducting a thorough search of the vehicles, the BSF troops recovered 30 sophisticated arms along with ammunition.
The weapons included 28 AK series rifles, one 5.56 MM AK-74 rifle and one Carbine along with 7,894 assorted ammunitions and 28 magazines which were clandestinely hidden in fabricated cavity of the vehicles.
The BSF troops apprehended three persons in connection with the seizure.
The nabbed persons have been identified as Lalhuapzauva (56), son of Thangchhunga from Chaltlan under Bawngkawn PS in Aizawl; Vanlalruata (25), son of Thanghlra from Ramhlun South under same police station and Liansanga (46), son of Hrangtinkaba from Armed veng in Aizawl.
A cash amount of Rs. 39,020 and other articles were also recovered from the apprehended persons.
Phuldungsei village, where the BSF carried out the operation is located along the Tripura-Mizoram border.