Manipur Customs seizes over 8,000 kg smuggled Myanmarese betel nuts

Imphal: In a significant operation, the Customs Division, Imphal, in association with the Manipur Police, seized 8,099 kilograms of areca nuts, popularly known as betel nuts or supari, worth Rs 32 lakh in the regional black market.

This marks the largest seizure of the year.

The contraband, transported in two vehicles falsely declared as bitumen, was smuggled into Manipur from Myanmar, officials reported on Saturday.

Five alleged smugglers and two vehicles involved in the illegal activity and attempting to evade crores of rupees in duty were detained, according to an official statement.

However, officials did not mention where the arrests and seizures were made.

The seized betel nuts and the two vehicles, a Tata 12-wheeler truck (Reg. No. WB-26-D-0886) and an Ashok Leyland truck (Reg. No. AS-26-C-9521), along with the drivers and conductors, have been handed over to the Customs Division, Imphal, for further legal proceedings.

Indian authorities allege that Myanmarese supari, also known as Myanmarese betel nut, is a type of areca nut banned in India due to its potential to cause cancer.

Additionally, betel nut is one of the most widely self-administered psychoactive substances in the world.

In Manipur, it is widely consumed, often combined with slaked lime, spices, and even tobacco, for its mild psychostimulant effect.

Moreover, the nut is also used in Ayurvedic medicine and Meitei religious ceremonies as an offering to gods or a token during births, marriages, and even funerals.