New Delhi (Mizzima) – A senior leader of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has been arrested in Moreh on the Indo-Burma border.
Police said that Hpauna Lahtoi, 65, is being detained for possession of a pistol and ammunition, the Indian Nagaland Post newspaper reported.
The newspaper said he was arrested by members of the No. 9 Assam Rifles.
A person familiar with the case said Lahtoi’s friends believe the arrest was a “frame up.”
“His family said that he was not arrested with arms and ammunitions. But the army claimed they arrested him with arms,” she said.
Lahtoi moved to Moreh in 2002 as a KIA captain. His house is a stopover for students on their way to New Delhi to attend seminary school, sources said.
The newspaper also reported the arrest of a Burmese man suspected of being a member of an underground group. He was identififed as Zaw Thu, aka Blind, 25. He was arrested by members of the No. 9 Assam Rifles.
