GUWAHATI: An illegal consignment consisting of 233 sacks of Burmese Areca nuts was seized from the Hailakandi district of Assam on Tuesday night, May 16.
As informed by the Superintendent of Police, Hailakandi, Nabaneet Mahanta, the consignment was seized during three separate operations on Tuesday night.
Mahanta told G Plus that even though the weight and value of the consignment have not been estimated officially yet, every sack of areca nuts usually weighs somewhere around 60-80 kg and the market value of the consignment may be estimated to be over ₹60 lakh.
Based on specific information from sources the Hailakandi Police carried out anti-smuggling operations at several places on Tuesday night which yielded in the seizure of the 233 sacks from various places across the district.
The first set of illegally smuggled sacks was seized during a naka checking under the Kalacherra Police Outpost operating under the Lala Police Station in the Hailakandi district.
In this operation, along with the consignment of the illegally smuggled areca nuts, four cars were also intercepted by the police, informed SP Mahanta.
In a simultaneous operation under the Lala Police Station in Hailakandi, the police seized another 67 sacks of Burmese areca nuts while they were being smuggled in through a boat on the Katakhal River in the Hailakandi district.
Meanwhile, the police continued their raids and seized another 126 sacks of Burmese areca nuts from another undisclosed location.
The operations yielded the seizure of a total of 233 sacks of areca nuts during the major crackdown on smuggling operations by the Hailakandi Police.
The Hailakandi SP, Nabaneet Mahanta also informed G Plus that cases were registered at the Lala Police Station in connection with the busts and an investigation will be carried out.
While speaking to G Plus, SP Mahanta said, “We have also detained two individuals in connection with the busts and have registered two cases in the Lala Police Station. Lately, smugglers have been transporting consignments through smaller vehicles and unorthodox or non-traditional modes in order to avoid the police.”
“Based on the information we received, we intercepted the vehicles and raided the boat on the Katakhal River as well as another location in order to seize the consignment. Once the investigations are being carried out, more information ought to be revealed,” he stated further.
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