Aizawl: Mizoram police have launched a crackdown against banned Chinese-origin foreign bikes in the state, officials said on Thursday.

Despite the ban, the two-wheelers are freely available in the notheastern state, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

A police official said that these Chinese bikes are being smuggled to Mizoram and other northeastern states through the India-Myanmar border and being used by the Indians violating the Motor Vehicles Act.

The Mizoram Police, in a crackdown on Wednesday night, seized 16 foreign bikes from different areas of Siaha district in Mizoram.

“Legal action is being initiated against the foreign bike owners and users. Our crackdown against the foreign bikes would be intensified in all the 11 districts,” the official said.

On Wednesday, the Assam Rifles seized four Kenbo bikes in the same Siaha district while these two-wheelers were ferrying a large cache of Myanmar-bound tactical and war-like stores including a satellite phone.

Four people were arrested with the material, which also include five mobile phones, eight SIM cards, 105 bullets of point .22 rifles, and 9,000 airgun pellets, being smuggled to Myanmar-based militant outfits.