Aizawl: A 37-year-old Myanmar national was arrested with foreign currency notes worth over ?1 crore, along with smuggled tobacco and foreign cigarettes valued at ?1.8 lakh, in south Mizoram’s Siaha district near the Myanmar border, an Assam Rifles official said.
The accused, identified as U Phyu Maung, a resident of Rakhine State in Myanmar, was apprehended during an operation at Tuipang village in Siaha district.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs on the trafficking of foreign currency and contraband items, Assam Rifles personnel set up a mobile vehicle check-post in the area to intercept the consignment, according to the official, who did not wish to be named.
During the operation, a tipper truck was intercepted, and a thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 1.75 crore Burmese kyat, two cases of smuggled tobacco worth 50,000, and one case of foreign cigarettes valued at 1.3 lakh, which were being transported by the accused.
The arrested person, along with the seized items, was handed over to the Tuipang police station for further legal proceedings.
Earlier, on January 16, Assam Rifles personnel seized 1.40 crore Burmese kyat and arrested one person for illegally transporting foreign currency in Siaha district.
In a separate operation, Assam Rifles also seized 174 grams of heroin, valued at 1.46 crore, and apprehended two local residents at Zotlang village in east Mizoram’s Champhai district near the Myanmar border on January 17, the force said in a statement.
In another operation at Zote village in Champhai district on Monday, 49.6 grams of heroin, worth ?36 lakh, was seized and a local resident was arrested in connection with the recovery.