A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths on Tuesday raided the residence of Manipur Congress MLA Yamthong Haokip in Imphal's Mantri Pukhuri area recovered five pistols.

One of the pistol is the missing weapon stolen from DG pool kote within the premises of 2nd Manipur Rifles, which had gone missing between September 2016 and early 2017. NIA has been investigating cases, which pertains to missing of 56 pistols and 58 magazines from the DG pool kote located within the premises of 2nd Manipur Rifles Battalion.

The MLA, who was at the time of raid present at his house, complained of chest pain, and had to be rushed to the hospital. Haokip is said to be in ICU recuperating even as NIA sleuths are waiting to interrogate him about the 9mm pistol bearing number 18506735 with magazine, the missing weapon that was recovered from his residence.

The possibility of his arrest is not being ruled out. The missing 9mm weapon is not the only weapon recovered, the agency found other weapons with and without license. Those included made in USA Beretta Pistol with an expired license, One unlicensed 9mm Made in Italy weapon (Pietro Beretta Gardone), One DBBL gun bearing number 65330/05 having License number L/981(KPI) renewed up to 31 December, 2014 and one SBBL gun without any mark of identification.

Besides this the agency sleuths also found 22 rounds of live ammunition of 0.32 pistol, 15 rounds of live ammunition of 9mm pistol, 04 rounds of live ammunition of 7.62 rifle and 04 rounds of live ammunition of 7.62X39 (AK series)

On March 30 this year the case was filed after a written complaint was lodged by P Manjit Singh, Commandant, 2nd Bn, Manipur Rifles, on 56 missing pistols, which was heavily guarded.

The Manipur government reportedly purchased a consignment of 570 numbers of 9mm pistols on September 11, 2014, for use by the State's security forces. The case was transferred to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh who had moved the Centre to hand over the case to NIA for thorough investigation.

NIA had registered the case on June 1, this year. During the course of investigation, nine persons have been arrested and three 9mm pistol out of 56 missing pistols have been recovered from the members of various militant groups of Manipur. The custodial interrogation of the accused revealed the involvement of Yamthong Haokip, MLA from Saikul assembly constituency.

The State Government had earlier suspended four of its senior police officers, including an IPS officer, after the pistols went missing from the armoury of the Manipur Rifles (MR) garrison.