New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI): In two major operations on May 21 and earlier in the week in the North East region, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)'s Guwahati Zonal Unit has seized a large quantity of around 60,000 kg of smuggled foreign-origin areca nuts, the Ministry of Finance said.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI conducted operations in Mizoram and Assam, leading to these seizures.

According to the Ministry of Finance release on Friday, initial investigations revealed that foreign-origin dried areca nuts were smuggled into India from Myanmar through the Myanmar-Mizoram border.

In one of the operations, the DRI was assisted by the 38 Battalion of the Assam Rifles. So far, five people have been arrested in connection with the smuggling activities.

The ministry said the illegal influx of areca nuts from neighbouring countries is causing economic damage to domestic areca nut growers and undermining economic security in border regions.

The operations are part of continued efforts by enforcement agencies to curb cross-border smuggling networks operating in the North-East region.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance on May 21 said the DRI had also seized around 3,00,000 electronic cigarettes and vapes worth Rs 120 crore in a nationwide crackdown on an e-cigarette smuggling racket operating across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal.

According to the ministry, the anti-smuggling agency carried out enforcement operations at multiple ports, airports and Inland Container Depots (ICDs) over the last few days to intercept illegal imports of prohibited nicotine products.

The Ministry of Finance said, 'Acting on specific intelligence, DRI identified, tracked and intercepted multiple suspicious import consignments that were misdeclared to evade customs scrutiny.'

It added that 'detailed examination led to the seizure of nearly 3,00,000 electronic cigarettes/vapes of various brands, flavours and specifications valued at more than Rs 120 crore.' (ANI)