Imphal : Security forces have sounded a high alert across vulnerable stretches of Manipur-Myanmar border following the recovery of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), foreign currency, and a cache of arms and ammunition during coordinated operations over the weekend.

Officials on Sunday confirmed the arrest of four insurgents linked to two underground outfits, alongside multiple seizures of contraband drugs and illicit goods in separate operations across the state.

The alert comes amid fresh intelligence inputs warning of the movement of anti-social and insurgent elements attempting to consolidate their presence in sensitive pockets along the international border.

Acting on specific intelligence, central security forces, in coordination with state police, launched a targeted search operation in the border belt using specialised detection units, including a metal-detecting dog squad.

The operation led to the recovery of a significant cache of military-grade equipment from the area between Border Pillars 72 and 73 near Yangoubung village, under Moreh Police Station in Tengnoupal district.

Recovered items included an AK-47 rifle with a magazine, two 9mm pistols with magazines, four detonators, safety fuses, eight batteries, and 16 IEDs, which were subsequently destroyed in situ by bomb disposal teams. Security personnel also seized 16,800 Myanmar Kyats and a first-aid kit from the site.

Officials described the haul as a “serious security concern,” noting that the presence of multiple IEDs pointed to possible plans to target security installations or disrupt civilian movement in the region.

In parallel operations across Imphal East and Imphal West, security forces arrested three active cadres of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party – People’s War Group (KCP-PWG).

The arrested individuals were identified as Thangjam Yaiphaba Meitei (32), Laitonjam Ramakanta Meitei (35), and Thongam Herojit (39), all picked up from their respective residences. Authorities seized three mobile handsets and two Aadhaar cards from their possession.

In a separate raid, another cadre linked to the Meeyamgi Fingang Lanmee (MFL) faction of the KCP was apprehended from a rented accommodation in Sagolband area. Two mobile phones and an Aadhaar card were recovered during the operation.

Officials said the arrests were part of a sustained crackdown aimed at dismantling urban support networks that facilitate insurgent activities in the valley districts.

Security forces also intensified anti-smuggling operations, leading to the arrest of two individuals from the Old Lambulane area under Imphal Police Station. The accused were found transporting 480 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup in a vehicle, which was seized.

In a separate interception in Kakching district, police recovered a consignment of illegal tobacco products from a passenger bus. The seized items included multiple packets of chewing tobacco brands, indicating continued attempts to smuggle restricted goods through the region.

Officials said security has been stepped up across key transit points and border outposts, with intensified patrolling and surveillance in vulnerable districts. The latest recoveries have reinforced concerns about the porous nature of the border and its continued use for trafficking arms, explosives, and contraband.