Imphal: Police in the Jiribam district near the Manipur-Assam border, destroyed 450 gunny bags of areca nuts (dried betel nuts) on Thursday, worth around Rs 1 lakh in the local market.
The items had been confiscated from smugglers following the arrest of five suspects – three from Assam, one from Rajasthan, and another from Manipur – during a mobile frisking and checking at Leingangpokpi police outpost along the NH-37 connecting Imphal to Silchar.
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The seized items were disposed of as per the orders of the First Class District Magistrate, Jiribam District, after analysis reports from the Food and Safety Department, Government of Manipur, declared them unfit for human consumption.
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The smuggled goods had been packed in 450 gunny bags and transported in two Tata trucks from Moreh, India’s last border town in the Manipur sector, coming from Myanmar.
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Burmese supari, also known as Burmese betel nut, is a type of areca nut that is banned in India due to its potential to cause cancer. The areca nut itself is not considered to be carcinogenic, but Burmese supari contains higher levels of alkaloids, which can be associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Additionally, the sale and consumption of Burmese supari have been linked to illegal activities such as money laundering and drug trafficking.