A Smoky Operation: Rs 7.8 Crore Worth of Foreign Cigarettes Seized by Mizoram Police and Assam Rifles

Aizawl (The Uttam Hindu): Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police in a joint operation seized foreign-origin cigarettes worth Rs 7.8 crore from Cherhlun in the state’s Lawngtlai district, officials here said on Thursday. Assam Rifles sources said that the troops of the para-military force along with Mizoram Police acting on a secret operation seized foreign cigarettes valued at Rs 7.8 crore from Cherhlun village on Wednesday night.

A smuggler identified as Lalrin Chhana (28) was also arrested in connection with the seizure of the foreign cigarettes contained in 600 cases. The entire seized consignment and the detainee have been handed over to the police department for further legal proceedings. In another incident, the Assam Rifles along with the Customs Preventive Force recovered illegally smuggled areca nuts worth approx Rs 30.80 lakh in from Hmunhmeltha in Champhai district, which shares a border with Myanmar.

The areca nuts weighing 4,400 kgs have been smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar. An Assam Rifles statement said that the ongoing smuggling of contraband items is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram and India. “Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the ‘Sentinels of Northeast’ have continued their efforts against illegal smuggling and has also doubled its efforts to nab the kingpins of the smuggling of contraband items in Mizoram,” it said. Between November 20 and December 10, various drugs including heroin and methamphetamine tablets valued at around Rs 200 crore were seized in Mizoram, Tripura, and Assam.

All the drugs were seized in the three northeastern states after being smuggled from Myanmar. Mizoram, southern Assam, and Tripura are an easy corridor for drugs ferrying after being smuggled from Myanmar. Varied drugs, especially heroin and highly addictive methamphetamine tablets are often smuggled into the northeastern states of India from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km-long unfenced border with four northeastern states – Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km).