Silchar, Dec 9 (IANS) Assam Rifles, in coordination with Assam Police, busted an illicit foreign cigarette racket in southern Assam’s Cachar district and recovered a large consignment of cigarettes valued at Rs 1.83 crore, officials said on Tuesday.

Two drug peddlers were also arrested in connection with the recovery of the cigarettes smuggled from Myanmar. A defence spokesman said that, acting on specific intelligence inputs, a team of Assam Rifles in coordination with Assam Police carried out an operation in the Tarapur areas of Silchar, recovering 3,060 packets of illegal Esse Lite cigarettes with an approximate market value of Rs 1.83 crore.

Two smugglers, identified as Hanannan Husain Burnhuiya and Islamuddin Laskar, were also apprehended in connection with the seizure. Both are residents of the Cachar district.

A Scorpio vehicle was also seized.

The operation reaffirms the unwavering commitment of Assam Rifles towards curbing smuggling and safeguarding the region from illegal trade activities, an Assam Rifles statement said.

Popular among certain groups, including drug addicts, Esse Lite foreign cigarettes are frequently sold illegally in India as part of a smuggled and untaxed black market, largely because they do not comply with the country’s packaging and health-warning regulations.

Myanmar’s Chin state is a hub for the smuggling of varied drugs, foreign cigarettes, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through six Mizoram districts — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip.

Among the drugs smuggled into the Northeastern region, highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, popularly known as Yaba or ‘party tablets’, contain a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine and are often referred to as the ‘crazy drug’. These tablets are widely abused by drug addicts and are banned in India.

After being smuggled in from Myanmar, methamphetamine tablets and other contraband items are routed through Mizoram and transported to various parts of India, as well as to Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.

Mizoram shares 510 km and 318 km unfenced border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, respectively.

–IANS

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