Aizawl: The Serchhip Battalion of 23 Sector Assam Rifles recovered 80 bags of areca nuts from General Area Tlangsam in Mizoram on Sunday.
The operation was carried out by a team of Assam Rifles and Custom Department of Champhai District based on specific information received by them.
The recovered nuts are worth Rs 13, 44,000 approximately. The Customs Preventive Customs Preventive Force Champhai District has seized the contraband items.
Assam Rifles took to Twitter to announce the news of the areca nuts bust.
In another joint operation between Assam Rifles and Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department, three persons were arrested at Bethlehem Veng in Aizawl on January 30. The arrested persons were found with heroin drugs worth approximately Rs.75.6 lakh, which was seized during the operation.
In yet another successful bust, the Serchhip Battalion recovered 40 bags of areca nuts at Bulfekjawl in Mizoram on January 23rd. The raid was carried out by a team of Assam Rifles and Customs department at Zokhawthar in Champhai district. The approximate cost of the recovered areca nuts has been estimated to Rs 6.72 lakh, according to reports.
In an earlier operation, Assam Rifles troops seized drugs and areca nuts, smuggled from Mynamar, worth approximately Rs 6.35 crore in Mizoram. Three people were arrested in connection with the case. Assam Rifles officials said the troops seized 260 bags of areca nut, also known as betel nut, 612.8 gm heroin and 2,69,000 Methamphetamine tablets.
Again, the Assam Rifles team, on January 23, intercepted two trucks and seized 4400 kg of smuggled betel nuts near Kaesong area. According to reports, the seized contraband items were being carried in 55 bags weighing nearly 80 kg each. The estimated value of the seized contraband item is ₹ 26.4 lakh.
The Serchhip Battalion had also recovered 74 grams of heroin last week from Zote in Mizoram estimated to be worth Rs 29,60,000. A joint team of Assam Rifles personnel and officials of the Champhai customs department conducted a raid during which the heroin was recovered. The customs department also detained one individual, who was reportedly identified as a foreign national from Bukphir in Myanmar.
Ongoing smuggling of drugs is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar Border.