Aizawl, Oct 25 : The Assam Rifles have recovered a huge cache of arms, ammunition in Mizoram, officials said here on Saturday.

A defence spokesman said that based on specific intelligence inputs, Assam Rifles launched a deliberate and well-coordinated search operation on Friday at Saikhumpai areas in bordering Champhai District, a hotspot of smuggling of various drugs and arms.

The operation was conducted with complete surprise and involved a sustained search through dense forested terrain. During the search, troops unearthed a concealed cache containing six 60mm Mortar Tubes with Base plates, two 7.62mm Myanmar-made Assault Rifles, three shotguns, two point 22 Rifles, and one Hand Grenade.

During the intensive search, the troops also recovered 45 live rounds of 7.62mm, 15 rounds of 60mm Mortar, two Anti-Personnel Mines and two radio sets with antennas, along with a charger.

Following the recovery, the team carried out extensive area domination to verify any presence of underground cadres in the vicinity. However, no signs of underground movement were detected. The recovered weapons, ammunition were secured at the site and later handed over to the Mizoram Police for further investigation and legal proceedings.

Assam Rifles remains steadfast in its commitment to eliminating illegal arms networks and ensuring continued peace and security in Mizoram's border areas, an official statement said.

The paramilitary force guards the 1,643-km-long India'Myanmar border along four Northeastern states -- Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland. These unfenced frontiers serve as key illegal transit points for drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets, as well as various arms entering India.

The Mizoram districts that border Myanmar are Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip. These six districts share a combined border of 510 km with Myanmar's Chin state, which is a hub for smuggling of varied drugs, arms and ammunition, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through the Northeastern states.

/IANS