The Serchhip Battalion of Assam Rifles in a joint operation seized 53 cases and 47 loose packets of V- Valiant Mild cigarettes (foreign origin cigarettes) worth Rs 70, 12,200 at Tlangsam Mizoram’s Champhai district on Wednesday.

Acting on specific information, troops of Assam Rifles along with Customs Dept officials carried out a joint operation, AR said in a statement.

The approximate cost of the recovered foreign-origin cigarettes is Rs 70, 12,200.

The recovered items have been handed over to the Customs Preventive Force in Champhai district for further legal proceedings.

Ongoing smuggling of foreign-origin cigarettes is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar border, said an Assam Rifles official.

Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the ‘Sentinels of Northeast’ have continued their efforts against the smuggling activities in Mizoram, he said.