Guwahati, Feb 20: Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in combating the smuggling of Burmese areca nuts (Burmese supari) and other narcotic substances from neighbouring Myanmar into the Northeast.
In a letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday Gogoi highlighted the issue of smuggling of Burmese areca nuts and other narcotic substances into the Northeast from Myanmar through the porous India-Myanmar border in Mizoram and Manipur.
“Recent media coverage has shed light on the alarming frequency of truck entries at the Merapani border in Assam, indicating that smuggled Myanmar-origin areca nuts, colloquially known as Burmese supari, are making their way into our country through the porous India-Myanmar border in Mizoram and Manipur,” the Congress leader stated in the letter.
“Subsequently, these smuggled areca nuts find their way into Nagaland, from where they are distributed to gutkha industries in Kanpur, Lucknow and West Bengal. These activities are conducted with blatant disregard for customs duties and regulations,” he stated.
“Other drugs like heroin, opium, yaba tablets, morphine, methamphetamine tablets. along with a huge number of foreign currencies, are also being smuggled from the neighbouring country. Media reports have also highlighted the use of oil tankers as a means to reroute these illicit goods through Manipur, further complicating the issue. The implications of this illegal trade are manifold. These activities not only lead to significant revenue loss for the government but also pose a threat to public health,” the MP wrote.
Urging immediate action, Gogoi further referred to media reports stating that the Burmese supari smuggling nexus and other narcotic substances involve political influence, sending a wrong message to the people.
“Therefore, I urge you to take decisive action to combat this smuggling nexus. Strengthening border security, enhancing surveillance measures and cracking down on smuggling networks are essential steps to address this issue effectively,” the MP wrote in the letter to the Prime Minister.
“Additionally, strict enforcement of customs regulations and penalties for those involved in smuggling activities are imperative to deter future illicit trade,” he added.