Achieving a significant breakthrough in curbing illegal smuggling, the Assam Rifles has seized a staggering 958 bags of illegally smuggled areca nuts, valued at over Rs 10.84 crore in the grey market, in the northeastern state of Manipur, a press release stated.
Based on intelligence inputs, between August 27 and August 31, 2023, the troopers of Assam Rifles while carrying out several operations at the Sangkalok Nala area along the Indo-Myanmar international border of the state’s Kamjong district confiscated the contraband item from as many as 17 trucks bearing Manipur and Myanmar registration numbers. The Assam Rifles also nabbed several persons in connection with the illegal trade, the press release said.
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Later, the Assam Rifles handed over the seized contraband item, apprehended persons and the vehicles to the state forest department, Kamjong for further legal proceedings, it added.
Earlier in August this year, personnel of the Assam Rifles seized a consignment of suspected Burmese areca nuts estimated to be over Rs 4.84 crore in the grey market and apprehended three persons from the Kamjong district of the state. The Assam Rifles seized the contraband item in two different operations along the Indo-Myanmar international border from three Myanmar-registered vehicles.
The police stated that the smuggled areca nuts are first brought to Manipur from Myanmar in trucks and then transported to either neighbouring Nagaland’s Dimapur or Assam, to be further trans-shipped to its final destination in other parts of the country.
Areca nuts are chewed across South Asia even though it affects one's health severely. In the year 2021, a high-level probe was ordered in India into the smuggling of areca nuts from its neighbouring countries.
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