Oil tanker carrying huge consignment of Burmese betel nuts intercepted in Cachar; 2 arrested

A Bharat Petroleum Oil Tanker containing huge loads of Burmese betel nuts in five different chambers of the vehicle was intercepted today morning at the Lailapur police post during Naka checking. The Police suspected those nuts to be illegal which were being smuggled from Mizoram. Two men were immediately apprehended and further investigation regarding the matter is going on.

At around 8 AM in the morning, during a routine Naka checking, the Police at Lailapur police post, confiscated a Bharat Petroleum Oil Tanker carrying huge loads of Burmese betel nuts which were suspected to be illegal. The oil tanker was bearing the registration number AS-FC-9272 and was coming in from Mizoram this morning. On conducting a thorough search, the police found out the massive amount of illegal Burmese betel nuts distributed in five different chambers of the tanker. Two men, Babul Hussain Laskar s/o Mour Uddin Laskar, a resident of Tiniali Bazar, and Badrul Hoque Laskar, Matchir Bazar, both of PS Langka of Hojai district, were arrested by the police. Further investigation regarding the matter is in process and consequently, necessary legal actions against the convicted will be taken.

Smuggling of these betel nuts from Myanmar has been rising at an alarming rate in India. This illicit trade is mainly booming in the north-eastern regions, especially through Manipur and Mizoram, both of which share borders with Myanmar.