Aizawl: Three days after six vehicles carrying smuggled Burmese dried areca nuts were burnt in western Mizoram’s Mamit district, the central committee of Young Mizo Association or Central YMA(CYMA) on Monday urged the state government to take stringent measures to curb smuggling of the contraband.
Leaders of the state’s largest civil society organisation met chief minister Zoramthanga in Aizawl on Monday on various issues, including smuggled Burmese dried areca nuts, CYMA president R. Lalngheta said.
He said that they urged the chief minister to take stern measures to ensure that Burmese areca nuts are not smuggled into the state.
“We have made repeated appeals to the government to curb the smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar in the past. The chief minister assured us of stern measures against the rampant smuggling activities during our meeting today (Monday),” Lalngheta said.
He said that the chief minister has also called a meeting of concerned departments to be chaired by him on Thursday to discuss the matter.
Representatives of CYMA would also take part in the meeting, he added.
At least six vehicles, allegedly carrying smuggled areca nuts from Myanmar, were set on fire by a group of people on the National Highway-108 between Zamuang and Zawlnuam in Mamit district near the Tripura border on Saturday.
The incident occurred when the vehicles were heading towards Kanhmun on the Mizoram-Tripura border, Mamit Superintendent of Police Lalthangpui Pulamte said.
She said that a case has been registered at Kanhmun police station.
“Investigation is still on and no person has been arrested in connection with the incident till Monday,” Pulamte said.
The incident happened about a month after an areca nut growers’ society in Mamit’s Hachhek assembly constituency had urged transporters, traders and vehicles carrying smuggled Burmese areca nuts not to pass through their area.
The society had also warned that it would hold no responsibility for any untoward incident.
It had, in October, held a demonstration, demanding that the state government must ensure that locally grown areca nuts are transported and sold in Assam.
The society also alleged that their markets have been badly affected due to smuggled Burmese areca nuts as their local products could not be transported to Assam.
The society’s general secretary Lalremruata Khiangte claimed that none of their members was involved in Saturday’s incident.