1. Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi raises alarm over Burmese areca nuts and narcotics smuggling in a letter to PM Modi.
2. Gogoi points out high truck entries at the Merapani border, signalling rampant smuggling via the Indo-Myanmar border.
3. Urgent action is urged to address smuggling activities threatening the Northeastern region’s security and well-being.
Guwahati, Feb 20: Assam Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi has penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing deep concern over the rampant smuggling of Burmese areca nuts and various narcotics from Myanmar into the Northeastern region of India.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Gogoi emphasized the alarming frequency of truck entries at the Merapani border in Assam, indicating a significant influx of smuggled Burmese areca nuts across the porous India-Myanmar border in Manipur and Mizoram.
These illicit goods are then channeled into Nagaland before being distributed to gutkha industries in Kanpur, Lucknow, and West Bengal, circumventing customs duties and regulations.
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Moreover, Gogoi shed light on the nefarious drug trade thriving along the Myanmar border, with a variety of narcotics such as heroin, opium, Yaba Tablets, Morphine, and Methamphetamine tablets being smuggled into the Northeast.
Media reports have further underscored the use of oil tankers as a means to reroute these illegal substances through Manipur, exacerbating the complexities of the issue and posing significant threats to public health.
In his missive to the Prime Minister, Gogoi urged for immediate and decisive action to curb the smuggling activities plaguing the region.
He stressed the need for bolstering border security, enhancing surveillance measures, and dismantling smuggling networks to effectively address the issue at its core.
Additionally, Gogoi underscored the political influence that often permeates such illicit trade, urging stringent actions against those involved to send a clear message to the public and deter future illegal activities.
Recognizing the multifaceted implications of this illicit trade, including substantial revenue losses for the government and grave threats to public health and safety, Gogoi reiterated the urgency for robust measures to combat the smuggling nexus effectively.
Gaurav Gogoi reiterated his call for swift and decisive action from the Prime Minister’s office, emphasizing the imperative of collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies and government authorities to root out the scourge of smuggling and safeguard the interests of the Northeastern region and its citizens.
