Assam: Bajali Police seize Burmese supari worth Rs 18 lakh, arrest three

Bajali: Bajali Police intercepted a vehicle carrying Burmese supari, valued at approximately Rs 18 lakhs, that was being smuggled from Nagaland towards Howly in Assam's Barpeta district.

Acting on specific intelligence, police stopped a vehicle bearing registration AS-26 AC-0443 and discovered a specially constructed hidden compartment behind the driver’s seat, in addition to a false floor installed inside the vehicle.

The contraband supari was concealed beneath a thin layer of local supari, with the large quantity of Burmese supari sealed underneath using plain sheets.

Police arrested three individuals: the driver, Sanidul Islam; the handyman, Rajibul Islam; and the alleged trader, Ainul Haque.

According to officials, the smugglers were utilizing the Nagaland–Manipur route to transport the contraband into Assam.

While trafficking along national highways is frequent, the method of concealment was noted by authorities.

Police said, "Timely action prevented the trio from pulling off their 'Pushpa-style' smuggling attempt."

Commenting on the operation, Trinayan Bhuyan, Additional Superintendent of Police, Bajali, said, “Our team acted swiftly based on specific intelligence. The smugglers had put in significant effort to hide the contraband, but the concealment method was detected. We will continue to intensify checks to curb such illegal activities in the district.”