Assam Rifles, along with Customs, have seized a large consignment of smuggled areca nuts, also known as Burmese Betel nuts, valued at Rs 1.79 crore in Mizoram, officials said on Sunday.
A defence spokesman said that Assam Rifles troopers and Customs officials, in a joint raid, recovered 321 bags of areca nuts, which were found dumped in a jungle near Zote-Tlangsam crossing point in Champhai district on Saturday night.
The areca nuts, smuggled from Myanmar, were dumped in the jungle with the intention to ferry them to other parts of India.
The recovered items have been handed over to the Customs Preventive Force in Champhai.
This is the second consignment of Myanmar areca nuts seized in Mizoram within nine days.
Assam Rifles and Customs officials, in a joint operation on March 21, seized a consignment of areca nuts, contained in 180 bags, valued at Rs 1.08 crore from the same district.
Champhai, which shares an unfenced border with Myanmar, is a hotspot for the smuggling of various drugs, foreign cigarettes, areca nuts, arms and ammunition, and exotic animals and their parts.
Large-scale smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar is seriously affecting farmers in Assam, Mizoram and Tripura, where betel nuts grow in large quantities.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had said on Friday that due to the illegal import of 'areca nut' from Myanmar, local cultivators in the state have faced serious challenges in selling their produce at competitive prices. Addressing the training-cum-seminar on 'Scientific Methods of Cultivation of Areca nut and Pest Management', he emphasised that the government is working diligently to address these difficulties and take corrective measures. He announced that Rs 7.43 crore has been sanctioned by the North Eastern Council (NEC) for establishing areca nut processing units at Chemphai and Zamuang. He said that these units would ensure proper processing of areca nuts, create value-added products, and facilitate marketing.
Lalduhoma also stressed the importance of proper utilisation of available resources to ensure increased productivity and economic benefits for farmers.
Haifa port in Israel operating normally despite Iran attack
There has been no damage to Israel’s Haifa port in the Iranian ballistic missile attack on an oil refinery nearby and cargo operations are progressing unhindered, according to media reports.
No recommendation, no discrimination: HM Amit Shah hails UP’s inclusive recruitment drive
In a historic ceremony, Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath distributed appointment letters to 60,244 newly selected police personnel at the Defence Expo Ground in Sector 18, Vrindavan. Out of these 60,000 recruits, more than 12,000 comprised women.
Round-the-clock DNA profiling underway: FSL Gandhinagar Director explains complex process
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, has been operating around the clock to identify victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash through DNA profiling and matching.
Civil Aviation Ministry issues strict instructions to DGCA to enforce chopper safety
In the wake of a tragic helicopter crash in the Gaurikund area of Uttarakhand, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Sunday issued strict instructions to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to enforce all safety protocols related to chopper operations in hilly and sensitive areas like the Kedarnath valley.
‘Harming Indians will invite punishment’, HM Shah on Op Sindoor
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that through the anti-terror Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a strong message across the world that the bloodshed of Indians will invite punishment.
Dassault CEO trashes Pakistan's claims on downing Rafale jets
Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier has dismissed as "factually incorrect" Pakistan’s claims about having shot down three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor.
Tripura BJP stages protest over vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in B'desh
Ruling BJP in Tripura on Saturday staged state-wide protests along the Bangladesh border, protesting the recent attack and vandalism of the ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in the neighbouring country.
CM calls for mass awareness on voluntary blood donation
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today urged to create massive awareness campaigns about the benefits of voluntary blood donation to encourage more people to donate blood.