Six trucks carrying 'smuggled' areca nuts set on fire in Mizoram amid anger of local farmers

Six trucks carrying areca nuts allegedly smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar were set on fire by unidentified persons in Mizoram's Mamit district on Saturday.

The incident took place in an area between Zawlnuam and Zamuang villages in Western Mizoram's Mamit district, which shares a border with Myanmar.

Although police said those who set the trucks on fire are yet to be identified, they suspected the involvement of local farmers and traders, who are struggling to transport areca nut due to a restriction imposed in neighbouring Assam. Transportation of areca nuts (betel nuts) has been prohibited in the past few months in Assam following the Centre's directive to curb the smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar. Vehicles from Mizoram have to take the roads via Assam for the transportation of goods outside the Northeast.

The incident took place two days after Mizoram MP, K Vanlalvena raised the matter in the Parliament saying that the restriction imposed by Assam has adversely impacted the areca nut farmers and traders in Mizoram and Jampui Hills of Tripura, who depend on the business for livelihood. The Rajya Sabha member said that transportation of locally grown areca nuts should not be restricted in the name of curbing smuggling from Myanmar. "The areca nuts coming from Myanmar are dry whereas the local nuts are raw," he said while calling for the Centre's intervention to withdraw the restrictions.

Assam Rifles and police in Mizoram and other parts of the Northeast have in the past few years seized large quantities of areca nuts smuggled from Myanmar. Sources said smuggling of drugs, gold and other items from Myanmar via Mizoram has gone up since the military took over the elected government in the neighbouring country last year.

Mizoram Minister, Robert Romawia Royte recently said that areca nut growers and traders have already suffered a loss of Rs. 30 crores due to the restrictions imposed by Assam. Mizoram had also raised the matter with Assam during a ministerial-level meeting convened to solve the inter-state border disputes.

Replying to Mizoram's appeal, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said the state would allow transportation of areca nuts only if those are off-loaded in Assam for verification.