NIA arrests man linked to arms smuggling from Nagaland to Bihar

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 29 arrested a wanted accused involved in smuggling arms and ammunition from Nagaland to Bihar, officials said.

Manjoor Khan, also known as Babu Bhai, was identified as a close aide of the prime accused, Vikash Kumar, who was actively engaged in smuggling prohibited bore weapons, including AK-47 rifles, from Nagaland to Bihar.

The NIA investigation revealed that Manjoor conspired with his co-accused to smuggle the prohibited weapons with the intent of disrupting public peace and safety, thereby posing a threat to national security, the agency said in a statement.

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The case was originally registered by the Fakuli police in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district after an AK-47 rifle, along with a lens and live ammunition, was recovered at Murghatiya Bridge. Following the seizure, four other accused were arrested, and a chargesheet was filed under the Arms Act.

The NIA took over the investigation in August 2024 and during the course of the probe, uncovered the role of Manjoor Khan in the conspiracy. Subsequently, the agency filed the first supplementary chargesheet against the accused, including Vikash Kumar, Satyam Kumar, Devmani Rai, and Ahmad Ansari.

The investigation into the case is ongoing, with the NIA probing the larger network behind the smuggling operation.