Investigation launched into Manipur resident found with illegal ammunition near Panitanki

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) initiated a formal inquiry after detaining a young man from Manipur’s Tengenaupal district at the New Bridge crossing on the India‑Nepal border. The man, 20‑year‑old Paogau Lun Hao Kip, was found carrying a single 9 mm cartridge that bears the imprint of a Pune‑area ammunition plant.

According to SSB senior officers, the cartridge was discovered during a bag check of an ambulance that was halted about 350 metres from the bridge. The suspect claimed the cartridge had been lying on the ground near his home three months before and that he had kept it without recognizing its lethal nature.

The SSB has forwarded all relevant information to Manipur officials for a background check. The statement from the border force indicated that, irrespective of the youth’s explanation, holding prohibited ammunition without proper documentation attracts legal action under the Arms Act.

The region surrounding Morhe, close to the Myanmar frontier, is known for insurgent activity and recurring ethnic violence, with over 300 deaths reported in recent years. Security forces have previously recovered substantial caches of weapons and ammunition from the area, underscoring the strategic importance of stringent border monitoring.

Officials warned that had the cartridge been handed over to Nepalese authorities, the consequences could have been far more severe due to Nepal’s stringent gun‑related laws.