GUWAHATI: Assam police crime branch busted a racket involved in betel nut smuggling from Myanmar via Mizoram, Meghalaya and Assam to other parts of the country, and arrested the mastermind from Guwahati on Monday.
Police have identified the arrested person as Bidyut Sinha, a resident of Guwahati’s Gotanagar area. He has been booked on several charges under the IPC, including criminal conspiracy (section 120B), theft (section 379), dishonestly receiving stolen property (section 411), forgery (section 465), forgery for purpose of cheating (section 468) and using a forged document as genuine (section 471).
Commissioner of police, Guwahati, Harmeet Singh said: “The betel nut consignments are pumped into Mizoram through Indo-Myanmar border. The smugglers transport them to Assam’s Barak Valley from Mizoram and pass through Meghalaya before entering Guwahati. They use Meghalaya as a safe route for betel nut smuggling.”
A case was registered with the crime branch on January 25 following an order of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to prevent betel nut smuggling.
