DRI seizes areca nuts, poppy seeds worth Rs 20.31 crore in Mizoram and Assam
The DRI has seized 1,25,680 kg of foreign-origin areca nuts and 41,697 kg of poppy seeds worth about Rs 20.31 crore in Mizoram and Assam, arresting four people.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 1,25,680 kg of foreign-origin areca nuts and 41,697 kg of foreign-origin poppy seeds, together valued at roughly Rs 20.31 crore, in two intelligence-led operations in Mizoram and Assam. Four people were arrested in connection with the transportation of the smuggled poppy seeds.
In the first operation, carried out on September 23 and 24 in Mizoram, DRI officials searched three godowns in and around Ruantlang village in Champhai district, about 20 km from the India-Myanmar border. The premises were found locked and unattended. The searches yielded 1,25,680 kg of suspected foreign-origin areca nuts valued at around Rs 14 crore and 25,440 kg of poppy seeds worth Rs 3.81 crore. Preliminary investigation indicated the goods had been smuggled into India from Myanmar. The consignment was seized under the Customs Act, 1962.
The operation was conducted with assistance from Customs Champhai, the 14th Battalion of the Assam Rifles and Champhai Police.
In the earlier operation on September 22, acting on specific intelligence about poppy seeds being moved from the Mizoram border area towards Assam, DRI officers intercepted two trucks near Lailapur in Silchar with assistance from the 38 Battalion of the Assam Rifles. Examination of the vehicles led to the recovery of 290 HDPE bags containing 16,257 kg of foreign-origin poppy seeds. The bags carried markings indicating foreign manufacture and trade, and the consignment was not accompanied by valid import documents. The poppy seeds, valued at approximately Rs 2.43 crore, and the two vehicles were seized under the Customs Act, 1962. Four people involved in the transportation were arrested.
The areca nut haul is among the largest seizures of the commodity in recent years in the North-Eastern region. Poppy seeds are classified as a "Restricted" item under the ITC (HS) Classification of the Foreign Trade Policy, and imports are permitted only subject to specified conditions, including sourcing from designated countries and registration of import contracts with the Narcotics Commissioner, Gwalior.
The seizures reflect continued efforts to intercept smuggling networks operating through the India-Myanmar border and to prevent the illicit entry of restricted and foreign-origin agricultural commodities into the country.