Another Shipment of Smuggled Areca Nuts from Myanmar Confiscated in Mizoram
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Synopsis
Aizawl, March 30 (NationPress) Assam Rifles, in conjunction with Customs, has confiscated a substantial shipment of smuggled areca nuts, valued at Rs 1.79 crore, in Mizoram. This marks the second significant seizure within nine days, highlighting ongoing smuggling issues affecting local farmers.
Key Takeaways
- Significant seizure of areca nuts valued at Rs 1.79 crore.
- 321 bags of areca nuts found abandoned in Champhai district.
- Second seizure of smuggled areca nuts in nine days.
- Impact of smuggling on local farmers emphasized by Mizoram Chief Minister.
- Government initiatives underway to support local cultivation and processing.
Aizawl, March 30 (NationPress) The Assam Rifles, in collaboration with Customs, has intercepted a significant shipment of smuggled areca nuts, commonly referred to as Burmese Betel nuts, estimated at a value of Rs 1.79 crore in Mizoram, officials reported on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the defence revealed that Assam Rifles personnel and Customs officials, during a coordinated operation, discovered 321 bags of areca nuts abandoned in a forested area near the Zote-Tlangsam crossing point in the Champhai district on Saturday night.
The smuggled areca nuts, originating from Myanmar, were concealed in the jungle with plans to transport them to various locations across India.
The seized goods have been transferred to the Customs Preventive Force in Champhai.
This marks the second shipment of areca nuts from Myanmar confiscated in Mizoram in just nine days.
On March 21, Assam Rifles and Customs officials carried out a similar operation, seizing a shipment of areca nuts contained in 180 bags valued at Rs 1.08 crore from the same region.
Champhai, which has an unfenced border with Myanmar, is notorious as a hub for smuggling various items including drugs, foreign cigarettes, areca nuts, arms, and exotic wildlife.
The rampant smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar is severely impacting farmers in Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura, where betel nuts are cultivated in large quantities.
Mizoram's Chief Minister Lalduhoma remarked on Friday that the illegal import of areca nuts from Myanmar has posed significant challenges for local farmers in selling their produce at competitive rates. While addressing a training-cum-seminar on 'Scientific Methods of Cultivation of Areca Nut and Pest Management', he highlighted that the government is actively working to mitigate these challenges and implement corrective measures. He announced that Rs 7.43 crore has been allocated by the North Eastern Council (NEC) to set up areca nut processing units in Chemphai and Zamuang, aimed at ensuring the proper processing of areca nuts, creating value-added products, and facilitating marketing.
Lalduhoma also underscored the necessity of optimal resource utilization to boost productivity and generate economic benefits for farmers.
