India News | Police Case Against Mizoram Official for Torching 'smuggled' Areca Nuts, Oppn Slams Govt

Aizawl, Dec 23 (PTI) A police case was lodged against Champhai's district magistrate Maria CT Zuali on the basis of a complaint filed by a trader after she torched areca nuts allegedly smuggled via Myanmar, officials said on Thursday.

The police case led to a furore in the state with opposition parties hitting out at the government.

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In her complaint, areca nut trader Lalhruaitluangi alleged that the district magistrate along with other officials intercepted three trucks at Kelkang village near the Myanmar border on December 18.

The district officials unloaded 150 bags of areca nuts from the three Aizawl-bound trucks and torched them on the spot, it said.

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Official sources said five trucks had escaped the interception by the authorities that night, following which the district magistrate acted.

The complaint said that the district magistrate also snatched the mobile phones of the drivers and their keys.

Lalhruaitluangi demanded action against the district magistrate for allegedly torching the goods without verifying whether they were of foreign origin, besides snatching the mobile phones and keys.

The complaint was filed at Champhai police station, which registered a case under sections IPC sections 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 341 (wrongful restrain).

Police said the matter is under investigation.

The district magistrate, however, said that she was acting as per the law.

She said that the areca nut bags were unloaded to check if other contrabands were concealed inside them.

Drugs were concealed inside areca nuts bags on several occasions by transporters, she claimed.

The opposition parties, including the Congress and ZPM, hit out at the MNF government in the state over the incident, alleging that it was encouraging smugglers to move freely across the border and even giving them the courage to challenge the authorities.

Senior Congress MLA Zodintluanga Ralte said he feared that Mizoram would soon turn into Colombia and Mexico where drug smugglers not only "have a free hand" but also "control" the government.

ZPM working president K Sapdanga said the Champhai district magistrate had earlier issued prohibitory orders against transportation of smuggled areca nuts.

An official told PTI that smuggling of areca nuts and other contraband items from Southeast Asian countries, especially Myanmar, has been a menace for the state.

According to Customs, 1,108.97 metric tons of areca nuts worth around Rs 35.84 crore smuggled from Myanmar were seized in Mizoram this year till November.

Seventy-nine cases were also registered in connection with smuggling of areca nuts during the period, a senior Customs official said.

The Customs has been making massive efforts to curb illegal imports despite its manpower crunch, he said.

Local growers maintain that the illegal imports affect their business.

In 2019, the Centre had directed the chief secretaries of Manipur and Mizoram to stop illegal cross-border trade, following which Champhai district magistrate Zuali issued an order, banning smuggling or import of illegal items from Southeast Asian countries.

Recently, well-known social activist Vanramchhuangi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the Centre's intervention to stop smuggling of dried areca nuts from Southeast Asian countries through Champhai and Lawngtlai districts in Mizoram that shares a border with Myanmar.

Vanramchhuangi alleged that the Mizoram government gives 'Place of Origin' credentials to dried areca nuts smuggled through the India-Myanmar border from various Southeast Asian countries.

The "contraband" is then categorised under GST heading 0802 and levied 5 per cent GST, she claimed.

She alleged that smugglers use at least 40 routes in Champhai alone to transport their goods.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)