CNF-CNA disowns its member’s role in Mizoram arms smuggling

Aizawl: A top leader of Chin National Front (CNF) and its armed wing Chin National Army (CNA) said the Chin ethnic armed organisation disowns the alleged involvement of one of the members of its high command who was arrested by Mizoram Police for arms smuggling.
Vice-chairman-1 of the CNF-CNA confirmed to TOI over phone that one of the members of the central executive committee Bil Cung was among the five persons arrested by Mizoram Police on Wednesday along with 6 AK-47 assault rifles, 10,050 rounds of live ammunitions and 13 magazines of the same rifle at the outskirts of Saithah village in Mamit district bordering Bangladesh.
Those arrested included Bil Cung, two other Myanmar nationals, one Chakma from Bangladesh and one person from sMizoram. Police officials said they still could not reveal the names as investigations have been on to find out forward and backward linkages in the case.
While admitting that Bil Cung is one of the CNF-CNA's central executive committee members, the leader said they neither have any knowledge of his involvement nor he had been sanctioned by the CNF high command to undertake such clandestine endeavour. "In short, Bil Cung was acting on his own volition, without consulting the CNF-CNA leadership and without permission,' he said, adding, "Our organisation does not have anything to do with any Chakma insurgent groups of Bangladesh in the past or at present."
CNF-CNA is the insurgent group based in Chin state of Myanmar and one of the most prominent ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) in the neighbouring country and at present fighting against the military junta. The group has been fighting for federal state for the Chin state and its people since 1988
According to police, a preliminary probe reveals that the confiscated arms and ammunitions were intended for trade between the CNF-CNA from Chin state of Myanmar and the United People's Democratic Front, a Chakma insurgent group active in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.