Mizoram to seal illegal areca nut godowns

Aizawl: The Mizoram government would take measures to seal all godowns illegally run to store smuggled areca nuts, an official statement said on Monday.

The meeting of a task group on illegal areca nuts chaired by its chairman and home commissioner and secretary H. Lalengmawia on Monday decided that the task group would submit report to the Central Customs department to ensure that all illegal godowns along with stored smuggled areca nuts in different parts of the state are sealed and necessary legal action is taken accordingly, the statement issued by state information and public relations department said.

The meeting decided to continue collection of existing stocks of smuggled areca nuts from across the state during February, it said.

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The meeting also decided to intensify measures to curb smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar and other south east Asian countries.

The meeting further decided that state police would strengthen all ts checkgates across the state to make them function purposefully and volunteers of Young Mizo Association (YMA) would assist them in all possible ways to control smuggling activities.

Deputy commissioners would also submit detailed Land Settlement Certificates (LSCs) or village council passes of land owners where areca nut godowns are being set up, the meeting said.

The task group on illegal areca nuts was formed in December last year to curb smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar and other south east Asian countries.

Apart from officials of state home and law and judicial departments, the meeting was attended by police officials, security forces, officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence( DRI) and representatives of Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA).

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