Manipur Police on Monday announced the arrest of two members of the Meitei group Arambai Tenggol for allegedly possessing nine foreign-made weapons.

The accused, identified as Laishram Tondomba Singh (27) and Tourangbam Amarjit Meitei (20), were arrested on Saturday. Police recovered seven HK33 rifles, two M4A1 carbine guns, 28 empty HK33 rifle magazines, two Glock .45 Auto pistols with four magazines, eight empty M4A1 carbine magazines, and 100 rounds of .45 ammunition from their possession.

Both were produced before court and remanded in nine-day police custody.

Arambai Tenggol, which emerged as a prominent Meitei group after the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023, claims to safeguard Meitei interests but remains under the scanner of security agencies for alleged criminal activities.

A senior police officer described the seizure as a “serious concern,” pointing to the possibility of cross-border trafficking. “We are investigating the source of the weapons and identifying those involved in the supply chain,” the officer said.

Police have launched a wider probe into the arms trafficking network suspected of supplying weapons to militant and radical groups in the state.