Aizawl: Assam Rifles troopers have seized foreign origin cigarettes, valued at around Rs 2.35 crore in Mizoram after these were smuggled in from Myanmar, officials said on Sunday.
An Assam Rifles official said that acting on a tip off, its personnel seized the foreign origin cigarettes, contained in 78,333 cases, at Khuangphah in eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district on Saturday night.
“The foreign origin cigarettes after being smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar were stored in a house. None was arrested in this connection,” the official said.
Later the seized cigarettes were handed over to the Custom officials for taking further legal action.
An Assam Rifles statement said: “Ongoing smuggling of foreign origin cigarettes is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar Border. Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the ‘Sentinels of Northeast’ have continued their efforts against the smuggling activities in Mizoram.”
Besides various harmful drugs, especially heroin, highly-addictive methamphetamine tablets, also commonly known as ‘Yaba’, poppy seeds, opium, ganja (marijuana), morphine, bottles of cough syrup valued at hundreds of crores, various other contraband like gold, foreign cigarette as well as arms and ammunition are often smuggled from Myanmar to the northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Manipur, along their over 1,600-kn-long unfenced border.
—IANS