The Assam Rifles have arrested a man and seized a Tata mini truck loaded with 74 bags of rice with each bag weighing 50 kg headed for Myanmar at the India-Myanmar border area in Moreh. Weighing a total of 3,700 kg, its local street value would worth around Rs 1.50 lakh.
The seizures and arrest of an alleged smuggler occurred when the Assam Rifles troops foiled a smuggling attempt made by a truck driver on the Indo-Myanmar Moreh gate in broad daylight on March 21.
The personnel of the 5th Assam Rifles, in their normal frisking and checking duties under the aegis of the Inspector General of Assam Rifles (south), asked the driver of the vehicle to produce valid document(s) for his attempt to transport the clean rice from Manipur (India) to Myanmar at the international boundary bridge near Moreh.
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Following the failure to show the details, the driver, who later identified himself as Asem Golson Meitei, 27, from Uchiwa village in Imphal West district, was apprehended.
A total of 74 bags, each weighing 50 kilograms of clean rice, were seized and the vehicle used in the crime impounded. The seized items, the arrested driver, and the impounded vehicle have been handed over to the Customs Preventive Forces, Moreh for further legal action.
It may be mentioned that the border trade between India and Myanmar has reportedly been closed on this international bridge, Moreh since March 10, 2021. However, trade of small items has been continuing persistently.
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