A Belgian journalist arrested at Lengpui Airport near Aizawl on Thursday remains in judicial custody after being charged under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Arms Act, 1959, for possession of two empty cartridges, including one from an AK-47 assault rifle, police said on Sunday.
The journalist, identified as Simon Clément, was remanded to judicial custody by a district court in Aizawl on Saturday and has since been lodged at the central jail in Tanhril locality.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the case under the Arms Act might be weak, as Clément was found with empty cartridges rather than live ammunition.
Reports suggest Clément had entered Myanmar and stayed there without valid travel documents, leading to his arrest. A police official confirmed that he is a photojournalist.
According to Journalism Fund Europe, Clément is a Belgian freelance photographer based in Ghent who frequently travels to conflict zones, including the Middle East and Mexico, to document people affected by war and crises.
