AIZAWL: Mizoram government will launch a crackdown on smuggling of contrabands, especially drugs and Burmese areca nuts, official sources said on Thursday.
The meeting of important officials and leaders of Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) chaired by Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Thursday decided to set up a task force to combat rampant smuggling activities of drugs, areca nuts and other contrabands, the sources said.
Officials of the Mizoram home department (other departments if required) and representatives of NGOs would be involved in the proposed task force, it said.
The meeting decided to take stern measures and make collective efforts to curb smuggling activities and seized smuggled goods, it said.
It said that the state police will be assisted by volunteers of YMA and other NGOs in the exercise.
The meeting also decided to set up duty posts and check gates as many as possible across Mizoram and along the international borders.
It also decided to work with the Assam Rifles and Border Security Force (BSF), who are guarding the Indo-Myanmar and Bangladesh borders.
Mizoram government will also give monetary assistance to CYMA in its crackdown against drugs and other substance abuse if need be, the sources said.
Mizoram has recently become the main route for smuggling of illegal items, including heroin, areca nuts and wild animals from Myanmar.
Both the government and NGOs have been making efforts to curb the menace.
Mizoram shares a 510-km long porous border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh.
Recently, irate mob people had burnt six vehicles along with consignment of Burmese areca nuts in western Mizoram’s Mamit district.
The local areca nut growers alleged that smuggled Burmese areca nuts have severely impacted their markets, as they could not longer transport their products to neighbouring Assam.