Arambai Tenggol Members Arrested, Sophisticated Firearms Recovered in Manipur

Quick Summary

• Arrests: Manipur Police arrested two individuals, Laishram Tondomba singh (27) and Tourangbam Amarjit Meitei (20), alleged members of Arambai Tenggol (AT) in Imphal West district on August 30, 2025.
• Charges: The duo was charged with arms trafficking and engaging in prejudicial activities.
• Seized items: Authorities confiscated 11 firearms, including seven HK33 rifles, two M4A1 carbines, two.45 pistols, along with 40 empty magazines and 100 cartridges of .45 caliber from their possession.
• Police custody: They were presented before a court and remanded to nine days of police custody.
• Statement by AT: Arambai Tenggol issued a statement denying any connection between the group’s activities and those of the arrested members, claiming it was done at a personal level.
• Past allegations against AT: The group has been accused by Kuki groups of involvement in ethnic violence during ongoing tensions between Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur as May 2023. Over this period, more than 260 lives have been lost and thousands displaced due to violence.
• Firearm surrender initiative: In February 2025, Arambai Tenggol surrendered over 240 firearms following Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s appeal for peace.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The arrests of suspected members of the Arambai Tenggol group for arms trafficking highlight concerns over illegal weapon proliferation amidst ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur. While AT disassociates itself from their alleged actions, the group’s prior accusations of being involved in violence underline broader challenges related to militia-like entities operating historically or otherwise amid unrest.

The confiscation reinforces India’s legal commitment to controlling armed elements contributing to instability but also underscores deeper systemic issues-ethnic mistrust exacerbated by longstanding grievances among communities like Meiteis and Kukis as discussed earlier wherein numbers potentially add uncertainty toward consistent enforcement clarity damage-control frameworks dialogues lengthy response multilaterary-stakeholders’efficacystrengthening/clarity appendices links though “” */}

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