GUWAHATI: The Assam forest department has denied media reports of detention of 12 trucks carrying ‘Burmese supari’ (areca nuts from Myanmar) from Dima Hasao district last Wednesday.
Speaking to The Shillong Times over phone on Sunday, Tuhin Langthasa, assistant conservator of forest, Haflong range, categorically denied any detention/seizure of trucks transporting ‘Burmese supari’ through the Harangajao and Jatinga area near Haflong on Wednesday.
“We haven’t detained or stopped any vehicle carrying ‘Burmese supari’ as areca nuts do not belong to any forest produce,” Langthasa said.
According to a media report, the department had seized 12 trucks carrying around 120 tonnes of illegal ‘Burmese supari,’ the market value of which was estimated to be Rs 3.60 crore.
Sources say that ‘Burmese supari’ is smuggled from Myanmar and then unlawfully transported to different parts of India.
Asked whether the department had any knowledge of such trucks passing through Haflong, the forest official said that he had heard about such vehicles passing through Harangajao and Jatinga en route to Guwahati but the news could not be confirmed.
According to reports, villagers have told the media that a nexus comprising a section of police officials, political leaders and traders are carrying on the illegal trade of ‘Burmese supari’.
“So much so that the illegal trade thrives under the very nose of police officials with the latter looking the other way,” a resident of Haflong said, wishing anonymity.
Apart from ‘Burmese supari’, various drugs, other contraband are being smuggled from Myanmar into Mizoram and Manipur and then through Assam illegally transported to different parts of India and even abroad, the media report said.
Four northeastern states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share a 1,640-km unfenced border with Myanmar.
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