Daijiworld Media Network - Guwahati
Guwahati, June 12: A major crackdown on cross-border smuggling networks in the Northeast has resulted in the seizure of more than 71 lakh foreign-origin cigarette sticks worth an estimated Rs 14 crore over the past two months, officials said on Friday.
The operation, led by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), also led to the arrest of four individuals allegedly linked to the smuggling syndicate operating in the region.
In the latest action on June 11, DRI officials, assisted by the 34th Battalion of the Assam Rifles, seized over 45 lakh cigarette sticks in Mizoram. The consignment included foreign brands such as Mond, XSo, ORIS and Patron. One person was arrested during the operation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the cigarettes were smuggled into India from Myanmar through the Zokhawthar sector along the Indo-Myanmar border, a route that has frequently come under scrutiny for illegal cross-border trade.
Officials said the latest seizure forms part of a broader anti-smuggling drive that has seen another 26 lakh cigarette sticks confiscated in separate operations across the region in recent weeks. These cases resulted in the arrest of three additional suspects.
The crackdown follows a series of successful enforcement operations carried out in Mizoram last month by security and law enforcement agencies targeting both contraband tobacco products and narcotics.
In one operation conducted in Lawngtlai district, personnel of the Assam Rifles and the Excise and Narcotics Department intercepted a drug trafficking attempt and recovered one lakh methamphetamine tablets weighing nearly 10 kg. The seized narcotics were valued at more than Rs 30 crore.
In a separate operation, Assam Rifles personnel working alongside DRI officials intercepted a truck transporting a large consignment of foreign cigarettes. The team recovered 218 cartons containing brands including Oris, Patron and Win cigarettes, with an estimated value of Rs 5.23 crore.
Another seizure was made by the Mizoram Police, which intercepted a consignment comprising 20 cases of foreign-origin cigarettes valued at around Rs 48 lakh.
Authorities said investigations are continuing to identify the wider network behind the smuggling operations and trace the routes used for transporting contraband into the country. The latest seizures underscore ongoing efforts by enforcement agencies to curb illegal trade activities along the sensitive Indo-Myanmar border.