NIA files fresh charges against Mizoram-based arms trafficker

New Delhi : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charge-sheeted a key accused in a major illegal arms and ammunition supply case, spanning several states of India, including Manipur and other parts of the North-Eastern region, an official said on Friday.

The supplementary charge sheet, filed before the NIA Special Court in Delhi on Thursday, names Solomona alias Hminga alias Lalmithanga, a resident of Mizoram, under various sections of the IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Arms Act.

The NIA had filed the case against accused Lalngaihawma, Lalmuanawma, and others on December 26, 2023, based on inputs that some Mizoram-based entities were part of a syndicate involved in trafficking of arms, ammunition, explosives etc. in the North-East. The agency had on July 30, 2024, filed a charge sheet against the accused Lalngaihawma.

NIA investigations had revealed that Solomona, along with Lalngaihawma, Lalmuanawma and others, was involved in the criminal conspiracy of procurement and supply of arms, ammunition and explosive material to Myanmar, and from there to Manipur, for use in violent disruptive activities aimed at promoting enmity between different groups.

Solomona was found in possession of prohibited arms and ammunition without a licence. He was also engaged in raising funds in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy and had purchased arms and ammunition for supplying the same for use in unlawful and terror activities in the North-Eastern states, as per the NIA findings.

In a separate case, a Bangladeshi national was on Thursday sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment by the NIA Special Court, Kolkata, in a terror conspiracy case.

The court found Rabiul Islam, a member of the proscribed terrorist organisation Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), guilty under various sections of IPC and the Foreigners Act, 1946. The accused was fined Rs 20,000 in the case, which has been under investigation by NIA since August 2021 after the agency took over the case from STF, Police Station Kolkata.