SILCHAR: Smuggling of betel nuts from southeast Asian countries into the northeast, thus depriving the government of import duty, continues unabated. On Sunday night, acting on a tip-off, police detained two trucks and recovered 200 bags of betel nuts brought from Myanmar from them in Silchar.
A senior police officer said both the vehicles were carrying the betel nuts from Mizoram. The drivers were unable to produce any kind of challan or legal documents regarding the consignment, thus raising suspicions of illegal transportation, the official said. He said Silchar Police have registered a case (No 1329/18) under section 379/411 of IPC in this regard. Four persons who were in the trucks have been arrested. They have been identified as Emanuel Chorei (19), Hoiril Seim Chorei (25), Peter Chorei (19) and Joy Chorei (27). All are residents of Magura Punji under Bajarichera police station in Karimganj district. The arrested persons are being interrogated in custody at Silchar police station. Further investigation is going on to arrest the other persons involved in the smuggling racket, the official said. Sources said smuggling of betel nuts from Mynamar through Mizoram and Barak Valley areas of Assam is rampant. The Assam government has recently ordered a CID probe to unearth the modus operandi of the smuggling racket. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is also engaged in an investigation into betel nut smuggling across the country, including the northeast, they added.
Reports say the illegal trade of betel nuts in the northeast is estimated to be worth more than Rs 2,500 crore annually. Dried betel nut is one of the main ingredients of all varieties of gutka and paan masala, which have a huge market in India and is growing by about 10% every year. Reports also say while some local transporters from Dholai and Bhaga Bazar in Cachar district of Assam are involved in the network, the main peddlers are based in Mizoram, Manipur, Kolkata and the southeastern neighbours of the country.
Sources said the price of betel nut in Thailand and Indonesia is much lower. It ranges from USD 200 to 300 per tonne. It comes to about Rs 13 to 16 per kg of dried betel nut at source, which is much lower than the rate in India. Indian traders therefore prefer getting raw materials for gutka and paan masala from these cources by means of bribery, sources added. "Police are on alert with regard to cases of smuggling of dried betel nuts, popularly known as Burmese betel nuts. Over the past few months, a number of trucks loaded with such nuts have been detained and investigation has followed," said SP (Cachar) Rakesh Roushan.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com