A SoO cadre was arrested in Churachandpur with 1.027 kg of brown sugar, two rifles and 240 rounds of ammunition, raising concerns over links between armed groups and drug trafficking.
Imphal, Oct. 27: A cadre of the Kuki National Front (KNF-MC), identified during preliminary questioning as a member of a group under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement, was arrested with approximately 1.027 kg of brown sugar, two rifles and 240 rounds of ammunition in Manipur's Churachandpur district on October 26, according to a police operation report.
The recovery has renewed questions about drug trafficking links involving individuals associated with Kuki armed groups under the SoO agreement, particularly in light of previous arrests involving members of ceasefire-linked outfits in Manipur.
The latest operation was launched at night by a joint team of Churachandpur District Police, the 129 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the 5 Assam Rifles at Kingkin village near M. Songgel, based on intelligence inputs, according to the report.
The team intercepted a suspicious white Bolero vehicle and searched it, recovering one foreign-made AK-series rifle, one foreign-made MA1 rifle, 240 rounds of assorted ammunition and two transparent plastic packets containing brown sugar weighing approximately 1.027 kg.
The arrested individual was identified as Letkhothang Khongsai, 23, of D. Lhangjol village. During preliminary questioning, he reportedly disclosed that he was a cadre of KNF-MC. The security personnel seized the weapons, ammunition, vehicle and suspected narcotics.
Previous Arrests Involving SoO-Linked Groups
The latest arrest follows earlier cases in which members of Kuki armed groups signatory to the SoO agreement were apprehended with suspected narcotics.
On October 16, 2023, Lemtinsei Singson, identified as the commander of the United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA), was arrested in Manipur with 124 grams of brown sugar. UTLA operates under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), an umbrella organisation that signed the SoO agreement. An FIR was registered in connection with the alleged drug trafficking.
Another case was reported in January 2025, when a cadre of the Hmar People's Convention-Democratic (HPC-D), another SoO signatory, was arrested with suspected brown sugar and explosives in Jiribam district.
A joint team of Manipur Police and Assam Rifles arrested Lalchuoilo, 48, on January 9, 2025. The seizure included 44 soap cases containing a brown substance weighing approximately 457 grams, along with 20 explosive sticks, 11 detonators and a metre of safety fuse.
The Special Court of NDPS, Manipur, allowed his formal arrest in the drug case on January 16. Lalchuoilo had allegedly been instructed by an HPC-D collector to collect the consignment from Tipaimukh. The court remanded him to judicial custody until January 30, 2025.
The cases demonstrate that individuals identified as members of SoO signatory groups have faced arrests involving narcotics.
Questions Over Enforcement of SoO Conditions
The latest seizure again brings attention to the enforcement of conditions governing armed groups under the Suspension of Operations arrangement.
The recovery of brown sugar alongside firearms and ammunition in the Churachandpur operation raises questions about the intended use of the weapons, the source of the narcotics and whether the arrested individual had links to a wider trafficking network.
