New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 60,000 kg of smuggled foreign-origin areca nuts in the north-east region and arrested five persons, the finance ministry said on Friday.

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

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, DRI was assisted by 38Bn of Assam Rifles. So far, 5 people have been arrested in these operations.

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The illegal influx of the areca nut from the neighbouring country is causing severe economic damage to domestic areca nut growers and undermining economic security in the border regions.

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