Imphal: Security forces arrested two individuals in Manipur's Churachandpur district and seized arms along with a large quantity of poppy seeds, police said on Saturday.
The arrests were made from the T Bangla MVCP area under the jurisdiction of Churachandpur Police Station on Friday, according to an official statement.
During the operation, security personnel recovered one modified carbine, a 9 mm pistol, and 36 sacks of poppy seeds weighing approximately 1,800 kg.
Two vehicles were also seized from their possession, the statement added.
In a separate operation, a cache of arms and explosives was recovered from a forested area near Taijang village under Chakpikarong Police Station limits in Chandel district, a report said.
The seized items included an AK-47 rifle, four country-made firearms with magazines, seven mortars, around 4 kg of materials used for making improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and five walkie-talkie sets, among other equipment.
Security forces have intensified search operations across Manipur in the wake of ongoing ethnic tensions that erupted in May 2023.
The violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups has so far claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands.