Indian authorities arrest Chin alliance resistance fighters in Mizoram

Three members of the anti-junta Maraland Defense Force (MDF), including the group’s vice-chairman, were arrested by Indian authorities in Mizoram State on July 17 while allegedly transporting military equipment, the armed group confirmed. According to the MDF, the arrests took place at around 9:45pm at a checkpoint in Tipa village, Siaha district. The group was found carrying military items such as helmets and body armour. “There were around 50 sets of equipment and 100 armour plates,” an official from MDF, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Myanmar Now. “The vehicle was stopped at the Tipa checkpoint by both Mizoram police and paramilitary forces.”The MDF is part of the Chin Brotherhood, a six-group alliance that includes the Chin National Council, Chin National Front, Zomi Federal Union, Maraland Regional Council, and Chinland Defense Forces from Kanpetlet and Matupi.The alliance controls key territory across Matupi, Mindat, Kanpetlet, and Paletwa townships. Among the items seized during the arrests were .22-caliber bullets commonly used for hunting, a source told Myanmar Now.“These weren’t standard military bullets,” the MDF source said. “They were Point-22 single-card plates, typically used for hunting. Since they were found with those items, they have been held.” He said the three individuals arrested were identified as B Rahaie, aged 44, the MDF’s vice-chairman; FC Laicho, age 48; and Bilonga, 21.Bilonga was released after approximately three days, while the other two remain in custody at Saiha District Prison. “Efforts are underway. We believe they’ll be released soon,” the source added. The arrests came one day after a July 16 meeting in Naypyitaw between India’s military intelligence chief and Myanmar’s junta deputy commander-in-chief. Though details of the meeting weren’t made public, junta-run media reported that they discussed border security and military cooperation. In May, 10 members of Tamu District People’s Administration Organization (PAO), which operates on the India-Myanmar border were reportedly tortured or killed by the Assam Rifles, an Indian paramilitary force. The MDF says such arrests are becoming more frequent as coordination between the Myanmar junta and India increases. “It’s getting harder for our people to move across the border,” the MDF source explained. “There’s growing pressure on resistance groups as military cooperation tightens.” Earlier this year, five members of the Chin National Front (CNF), including a central committee member, were arrested in Mizoram with weapons in their possession—highlighting the risks resistance forces face while transporting arms through covert routes in countries like India and Thailand. Unlike Myanmar’s military, which operates more than two dozen arms factories and imports weapons from China, Russia, and Belarus, resistance groups depend heavily on cross-border smuggling to maintain their supply lines.

Indian authorities arrest Chin alliance resistance fighters in Mizoram

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