AIZAWL, March 12: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has raised a serious concern regarding the infiltration of Western mercenaries into Myanmar, with reports indicating that some of these individuals, including former fighters from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, are entering Myanmar through Mizoram. According to Lalduhoma, these mercenaries are allegedly training rebel forces fighting the military junta in Myanmar’s Chin State.

Speaking to the 40-member Assembly, Lalduhoma confirmed that specific intelligence had indicated that veterans of the Ukraine war had traveled to Myanmar’s Chin State via Mizoram to offer training to local rebel outfits engaged in battles against Myanmar’s military regime. The Chief Minister expressed alarm over the possible spillover of the international conflict into India’s northeastern border and raised concerns about the sudden increase in foreign visitors to Mizoram, including individuals from the U.K. and the U.S.

Lalduhoma shared that between June and December 2024, around 2,000 Westerners had visited Mizoram, a sharp contrast to the usual lack of foreign tourists in the state’s capital, Aizawl. He pointed out a particularly alarming incident involving the arrest of British citizen Daniel Newey, who was caught at Lengpui Airport on June 19, 2024, with live ammunition.

Mizoram shares a sensitive 510-kilometer border with Myanmar, which has been increasingly tense since the military coup in Myanmar. The state has also been hosting thousands of refugees fleeing the violence in Myanmar, further complicating the security situation along the border.