DRI Seizes Smuggled Areca Nuts, Poppy Seeds Worth ₹20.31 Cr
Over 1.25 lakh kg of foreign-origin areca nuts and 41,697 kg of poppy seeds seized in Assam and Mizoram; four arrested
- ₹20.31 crore worth of consignments seized.
- 1,25,680 kg foreign-origin areca nuts recovered in Mizoram.
- 41,697 kg poppy seeds seized in two operations.
- Four people arrested in the Assam poppy-seed case.
GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 25th Sept: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 1,25,680 kg of foreign-origin areca nuts and 41,697 kg of foreign-origin poppy seeds, collectively valued at around ₹20.31 crore, in two intelligence-led operations in Assam and Mizoram, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday.
Four people were arrested in connection with the transportation of the smuggled poppy seeds, according to the DRI.
Areca nuts seized near Myanmar border
During an operation conducted on September 23-24, DRI officers, with assistance from Customs Champhai, the 14th Battalion Assam Rifles and Champhai Police, searched three godowns in and around Ruantlang village in Champhai district, Mizoram.
The premises, located around 20 km from the India-Myanmar border, were found locked and unattended.
The searches led to the recovery of 1,25,680 kg of suspected foreign-origin areca nuts, valued at approximately ₹14 crore, along with 25,440 kg of poppy seeds valued at around ₹3.81 crore.
Preliminary investigation indicated that the goods had been smuggled into India from Myanmar. The consignments were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
16,257 kg poppy seeds seized in Assam
In a separate operation on September 22, DRI officers acted on specific intelligence regarding the movement of foreign-origin poppy seeds from the Mizoram border area towards Assam.
With assistance from the 38th Battalion Assam Rifles, officers intercepted two trucks near Lailapur in Silchar.
Detailed examination and rummaging of the vehicles resulted in the recovery of 290 HDPE bags containing 16,257 kg of foreign-origin poppy seeds, valued at approximately ₹2.43 crore.
The bags carried markings indicating foreign manufacture and trade, while the consignment was not accompanied by valid import documents.
The poppy seeds and the two vehicles were seized under the Customs Act, 1962. Four persons involved in transporting the consignment were arrested.
One of North-East’s largest areca nut seizures
The DRI described the seizure of the foreign-origin areca nuts as one of the largest seizures of the commodity in recent years in the North-Eastern region.
The agency said the operations underscore its continued efforts to disrupt cross-border smuggling networks operating through the vulnerable India-Myanmar border and prevent the illicit entry of restricted and foreign-origin agricultural commodities.
Poppy seeds classified as restricted imports
According to the Ministry of Finance, poppy seeds are classified as a “Restricted” item under the ITC (HS) Classification of the Foreign Trade Policy.
Their import is permitted subject to specified conditions, including sourcing from designated countries and registration of import contracts with the Narcotics Commissioner, Gwalior.
The latest seizures form part of the DRI’s ongoing intelligence-led action against cross-border smuggling in the North-Eastern region.
