Mizoram: Vehicles Carrying Smuggled Areca Nuts Set On Fire

AIZAWL : In the ongoing drug menace scenario, six vehicles carrying consignment of areca nuts were set on fire. Around 50 people came together and set ablaze the vehicles that were transferring the items in western Mizoram's Mamit district near the Tripura border. 

The episode took place on Saturday, near the Putarte river that falls in between Zamuang and Zawlnuam on National highway 108. Five pickup trucks and a heavy truck were burnt in the episode. 

According to the superintendent of police, of Mamit district, Lalthangpui Pulamte, the vehicles were carrying the dried areca nuts to Kanhmun on the Mizoram-Tripura border and they were being smuggled from Myanmar. 

 She further mentioned that the incident occurred early in the morning at around 4:00 am to 5:00 am. The vehicle was stopped and the drivers were asked to unload the packages by the people.

The consignments were burnt along with the vehicles at around 6:00 am in the morning. An in-depth investigation regarding the matter has been initiated and the case has been registered in Kanhmun police station. The SP said that, the real cause behind this incident still unidentified and no arrest has been made till now.

In the month of October, Hachhek Bial Kuhva Chingtu Pawl ( HBKCP ), a society that grows areca nut, demonstrated in an agitation and demanded the state government to make sure that the areca nuts should be transported and sold to Assam only.

The areca nut growers claims that there has been hurdles in the process of transporting and selling their products to Assam. The general secretary of HBKCP stated that, none of the members of the society is involved in the case. The trucks carried Burmese areca nuts, opium seeds and foreign cigarettes, added the general secretary.

K. Vanlalvena brought up an issue in the Parliament claiming that, the restrictions imposed by Assam is hampering the areca nut farmers and traders in Mizoram and Tripura.

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