DRI seizes smuggled areca nuts in Mizoram, Assam; 5 held
From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, May 22: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)’s Guwahati zonal unit seized around 60,000-kg smuggled foreign-origin areca nuts during two major operations in Assam and Mizoram. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI conducted operations in Mizoram and Assam after preliminary investigations revealed that the foreign-origin dried areca nuts were smuggled into India from Myanmar through the Myanmar-Mizoram border. In one of the operations, DRI was assisted by 38 Battalion of Assam Rifles. So far, five persons have been arrested during the operations, official sources said on Friday. Notably, smuggling of areca nuts from the neighbouring country is causing severe economic damage to the domestic areca nut growers.