Mizoram to intensify crackdown on areca nut smuggling from Myanmar: Minister

The Mizoram government will scale up its enforcement drive against the smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar, Home Minister K Sapdanga informed the state Assembly on March 2.

Sapdanga said the illegal influx of areca nuts from the neighbouring country over the past several years has caused significant economic distress to local cultivators and contributed to the circulation of unaccounted “black money” in the region.

Citing official data from 2019 to 2025, the minister stated that authorities have registered 468 cases related to areca nut smuggling during the six-year period, leading to the arrest of 292 individuals. Of the total cases, 109 were filed for violations of prohibitory orders under the IPC or the newly implemented Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), while 359 cases were registered under the Customs Act, 1962.

He said 184 people were arrested under IPC/BNSS provisions, while 108 others were booked under the Customs Act. Offenders charged under IPC or BNSS for defying promulgation orders are tried before a judicial magistrate and face penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment as prescribed under the respective laws. Those prosecuted under the Customs Act are dealt with under its stringent provisions.

Sapdanga explained that areca nuts entering from Myanmar bypass mandatory import duties and taxes, constituting a direct violation of customs regulations. “As these goods are untaxed, they are sold at very low prices. This not only increases the circulation of illegal money but also severely affects local areca nut growers in selling their own produce,” he said.

Reaffirming the government’s zero-tolerance stance, the minister said the ban would continue and border surveillance would be further strengthened. Earlier this month, he had warned that anyone involved in the illegal trade, including government officials, would face strict action, alleging past involvement of certain politicians and police personnel.

He also claimed that the ongoing crackdown has led to a significant rise in prices of locally produced areca nuts, offering relief to farmers in the state.