Aizawl, Mar 30 (IANS): The Assam Rifles and Customs preventive force in a joint raid on Wednesday seized foreign cigarettes worth Rs 3.52 crore in Mizoram, officials said.

An Assam Rifles official said that the para-military troops accompanied by the Customs preventive force recovered 235 cases of foreign cigarettes from an abandoned area near Melbuk refugee camp at Zokhawthar in Champhai district along the Myanmar border.

"Smuggling of illegal items is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram. Assam Rifles have been successful in launching such operations against smuggling activities in Mizoram," an Assam Rifles statement said.

Mizoram's 510 km unfenced international border with Myanmar, especially in the bordering Champhai district, is a major hotspot of smuggling.

Besides various illicit drugs, foriegn cigarettes, a variety of other contrabands like gold, as well as arms and ammunition, exotic animals, and areca nuts are often smuggled from Myanmar into the northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Manipur.