Aizawl, June 4: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 4 carried out searches at multiple locations across Mizoram as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged cross-border areca nut smuggling racket, officials said.
According to the agency, raids were conducted at around nine locations connected to individuals suspected of facilitating the network operating along the Champhai border, which shares an international boundary with Myanmar.
Officials said the probe is focused on a highly organised syndicate allegedly involved in large-scale smuggling of Myanmar-origin areca nuts, commonly known as Burmese supari, into India. The agency claimed that the consignment was transported across the Tiau River and stored in local warehouses before being distributed further using fraudulent documentation.
Investigators alleged that the network relied on forged records and fake billing practices to project the smuggled goods as legally sourced local produce. The ED further stated that the operation generated significant illicit proceeds, which were subsequently layered and routed through multiple channels to conceal their origin.
The agency also alleged that certain individuals exploited their local tribal status by acting as front claimants before customs authorities and using fabricated import documents to secure clearance of seized consignments.
The searches were carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and officials said the investigation remains ongoing, with further details expected after scrutiny of seized documents and materials.
