The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested five persons and seized more than 50 metric tonnes of areca nuts, being illegally smuggled into India, in two separate cases, an official said on Wednesday.
According to officials, the joint operations were carried out by a combined team of Company Operating Base (COB) Champhai, COB Zokhawthar of Mizoram range Assam Rifles, Custom Department Champhai and Land Custom Station Zokhawthar based on specific information.
In a joint operation Assam Rifles and Custom Department had recovered Areca nuts worth Rupees 25.76 Lakh on Tuesday from general area Zotlang under Champhai district, said an official release.
The Serchhip Battalion of 23 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of Inspector General Assam Rifles (East), recovered 342 bags of illegal areca nuts worth Rs 1.9152 crore in general area Zotlang, Champhai district on Thursday.
Assam Rifles recovered psychotropic tablets and illegal areca nuts with an estimated value of Rs 7.66 crore in two different operations and apprehended one individual in Mizoram.
The ongoing smuggling of illegal areca nuts is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram. Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the 'Sentinels of Northeast' have been successful in launching such operations against the smuggling activities in Mizoram.
In yet another success in its crusade against smuggling activities, the operation was carried out by a combined team of Assam Rifles and the custom Department, Champhai based on specific information.
Assam Rifles under the aegis of Inspector General Assam Rifles (East), recovered 103 bags of illegal areca nuts worth Rs. 57.68 lakhs in general area Hmunhmeltha, Champhai, informed officials on Monday.
The troops of Assam Rifles recovered 780 bags of illegal areca nuts worth Rs 3.51 Crore in the general area of Melbuk crossing in Mizoram's Champhai district.
On examination of the containers, it was found that the gunny bags stacked in the first two rows contained the declared cargo "Compounded Animal Feed" as well as "Barley" and the remaining gunny bags contained "Areca Nuts".
Areca nuts are being smuggled from Myanmar to India for long. Six Mizoram districts - Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual- share about 510-km long international border with Myanmar. This border is being used for smuggling areca nuts - also know as betel nuts - from My