The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out searches at nine locations in Champhai, a strategic town on the India–Myanmar border in Mizoram, as part of a money‑laundering investigation linked to the alleged large‑scale smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar. The agency said the raids targeted the homes of local facilitators suspected of helping move dry areca nuts across the border and into domestic supply chains.
According to the ED, investigators allege consignments of Myanmar‑origin areca nuts were falsely presented as locally grown produce before being handed over to a wider network that managed their onward distribution. The probe, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, has, the agency said, exposed a highly organised cross‑border syndicate operating through Mizoram and other states.
The ED said the operation relied on forged documents and fake e‑way bills — electronic transport documents used to track movement of goods — and the use of local persons to conceal the true origin of shipments. These practices, the agency alleged, enabled the generation and laundering of proceeds running into “hundreds of crores” of rupees.
The money‑laundering investigation traces its origin to an FIR filed by the Anti‑Corruption Branch (ACB) of the CBI in Imphal on August 7, 2024, initiated after directions from the Gauhati High Court during the hearing of a public interest litigation alleging rampant smuggling through Champhai. The PIL reportedly claimed that fraudulent e‑way bills worth Rs 251.19 crore were issued by Mizoram’s State GST authorities between 2021 and 2024, while the Central GST department issued similar documents valued at Rs 86.25 crore.
The ED said those documents were allegedly used to transport smuggled areca nuts out of Mizoram under the pretext of legitimate local trade, despite local growers not being GST‑registered. Because the underlying offences listed in the PIL include cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) to trace the movement of funds linked to the alleged racket.
Investigators described routes that reportedly moved areca nuts across the Tiau River and other porous stretches near Zokhawthar and Champhai without customs clearance. Once inside India, consignments were allegedly stored in multiple Champhai warehouses, then transported toward Vairengte near the Assam–Mizoram border via transporters often accompanied by escorts.
The agency said traders and financiers based in Assam, particularly Silchar, financed procurement. Large sums were allegedly credited to accounts of local facilitators in Mizoram, who received commissions of about Rs 2 to Rs 15 per kilogram. When consignments were intercepted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) or Customs, the ED alleged, local proxies submitted fabricated invoices and unrelated old Bills of Entry to claim seized goods. The agency added that payments ranging from about Rs 20 lakh to more than Rs 1 crore were routinely channelled to influence customs proceedings, pay penalties and secure release of confiscated consignments.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/mizoram/ed-raids-nine-locations-in-mizorams-champhai-in-areca-nut-smuggling-probe/53011/
Category: Mizoram,Burmese areca nuts,Enforcement Directorate (ED)
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-06-04 11:14:00
