'Notorious' gunrunner not Mizoram resident

Aizawl, Jun 20 : Intelligence sources today clarified that a 'Mizo notorious gunrunner' was not a permanent resident of Mizoram but a Myanmarese migrant.

The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday released a sketch of John Mizo alias Shambhu Pradhan, who allegedly supplied arms to the Dima Halam Daogah(Jewel) and other insurgent groups in the North East.

''We know this man very well. He is a Myanmarese national.

Notorious drug and arm smugglers are mainly from Myanmar and pose as Mizoram residents giving a bad name to our state,'' an intelligence officer here said.

According to sources John Mizo generally operates from areas bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

''His arrest will be crucial to cracking the entire network of arms supply to the NE militants,'' a source said.

John’s role in supplying arms to the militants came to light with the arrest of two DHD(J) cadres. Sources said Rs 1 crore recovered from them was to be paid to John in return of his supplied arms. The sketch was prepared based on the description given by the arrested ultras.