Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Forest Department, seized a large consignment of the protected medicinal plant Paris polyphylla, locally known as Anchiri, in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, officials said on Wednesday.
The operation was conducted at Hmawngbuchhuah on August 3, during which security personnel recovered 311 bags of Anchiri weighing a total of 10,574 kg. The seized consignment has an estimated market value of around Rs 1.05 crore.
Five individuals were apprehended in connection with the case, while five vehicles allegedly used to transport the protected forest produce were also seized during the operation.
Officials said the recovered medicinal plant, the arrested persons and the seized vehicles had been handed over to the Forest Department in Lawngtlai district for further investigation and legal action.
According to officials, the successful operation reflects the continued efforts of the Assam Rifles and the Forest Department to curb the illegal collection and trafficking of protected forest produce along the Indo-Myanmar border.
Paris polyphylla is a protected medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine and has increasingly become a target for illegal traffickers because of its high commercial value.
