National Investigation Agency Cracks Down on Pan-India Arms Trafficking Network

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against arms peddler Lalngaihawma for allegedly running a pan-India arms trafficking racket with links to Myanmar insurgent groups. The NIA invoked various legal acts against him, revealing his connections with licensed arms dealers and illicit funds.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has formally charged Lalngaihawma, an alleged arms peddler, for his involvement in a nationwide arms trafficking racket linked to Myanmar-based insurgent groups, officials announced Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the NIA filed the charge sheet before a special court, citing numerous sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosive Substance Act, and the anti-terror UA(P) Act. The agency claims that Lalngaihawma actively participated in a network that operated throughout the northeastern region and other parts of India. An FIR was registered against him and associates on December 26, 2023, following intelligence inputs about Mizoram-based entities engaged in illegal arms trade, according to an NIA spokesperson.

Investigations have so far revealed Lalngaihawma’s strong connections with Myanmar insurgent groups, from whom he received arms, ammunition, and explosives for distribution to various insurgent and criminal factions. He allegedly amassed significant funds through diverse channels, including his Myanmar associates. Furthermore, Lalngaihawma was found to have formed a nexus with licensed arms dealers for pilfering non-prohibited bore weapons and trafficking prohibited ones, an agency official reported.