NIA recovers 6 more pistols in Manipur missing arms case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday recovered six more pistols in the case pertaining to the theft of 56 pistols and 58 magazines from the Director General (DG) Pool Armory located inside second Manipur Rifles Battalion premises. The weapons went missing between 2016 and early 2017, a presser by the NIA read.

During the NIA investigation, Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) Chairman David Hangshing was arrested on August 24. David received the police pistols from an MLA from Saikul constituency, Yamthung Haokip, who was also arrested.

During interrogation, Hanshing disclosed few of the missing pistols which were kept hidden by him at a place, after which the NIA team recovered six missing 9 mm pistols from a place about 20 km from Imphal under East Imphal Police District.

The seized pistols have been found to be from a lot of missing pistols and serial numbers of five pistols matched with serial numbers of missing pistols while the serial number of 1 pistol has been erased.

Hanshing was produced before duty magistrate on Saturday, who remanded him to police custody. He will now be produced before a Special NIA court.

Further investigation in the case is underway.