On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a massive crackdown on an organised areca nut smuggling racket, conducting search operations at 10 locations across Assam and Delhi. The raids, carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, targeted premises linked to eight accused individuals allegedly involved in smuggling areca nuts from Myanmar into Mizoram. The ED’s Aizawl Sub-Zonal Office led the search operations, which covered residential and business premises in Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts of southern Assam, as well as in Delhi.
The investigation, initiated by the ED, is based on a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Imphal, following directions from the Gauhati High Court on July 16. The FIR alleged large-scale smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar into Champhai district of Mizoram, using fraudulent e-way bills and forged documents. The ED’s probe has revealed a complex, three-tier structure used for smuggling and selling Myanmar-origin areca nuts, with transactions amounting to crores of rupees.
The accused individuals, including Jakir Hussain, Kabir Hussain, and Romi Jain, are alleged to have been involved in the smuggling racket, which used bordering areas in Mizoram, including Champhai and Zokhawthar, as major transit points. The ED’s investigation has found that the smuggled areca nuts were supplied to buyers in Delhi, West Bengal, Nagpur, and Uttar Pradesh, among other places. The search operations are part of the ED’s efforts to crack down on money laundering and cross-border smuggling in the region.
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📰 Source: Mangalorean News