And today's topic is about a Rs 26000/- crore black market, which very cunningly operates from India's North-Eastern states of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur. After a lot of effort, this black market of areca nuts from Myanmar still operates just below the nose of the government.
India annually imports approximately 40,000 tons of areca nuts from Myanmar alone. However, Myanmar's annual areca nut production is only 10000 tons. The remaining 30000 tons of areca nuts are smuggled to India from Thailand and Indonesia to Myanmar through the Indian border states of Manipur and Mizoram.
In an independent investigation Report by North East Now, it has been reported that huge consignments of areca nuts mostly from Thailand and Indonesia are smuggled to India through Myanmar. Myanmar shares a huge borderline with the North Eastern Indian states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh and hence it can very conveniently smuggle areca nuts to India without even paying any import duties.
The second important thing is, areca nuts smuggled from Myanmar comes at a much cheaper rate @ Rs 13 to Rs 16 per kg whereas Areca nuts produced in India are sold at a market price of Rs 300 to 400 per kg.
According to a report by the Hindu Business Line, dated 27th November 2019, after all, transportation expenses, bribes at different points, made, the Ghutka and Pan masala factories in India still manage to procure these areca nuts from Indonesia nad Thailand at much cheaper rates.
According to the Government of India dated 25th July 2018 notification no: 20/2015-2020, after amending its previous notification no: 35/2015-2020 dated January 17th, 2019, in an effort to improve Areca nuts imports have increased the minimum import duties from Rs 162 per kg to Rs 251 per kg only. whereas the earlier minimum import duties for areca nuts were only Rs 52 per kg in the year 2015.
Due to the increase in CIF, areca nuts smuggling in India has even more increased.
On many occasions on the arrest of small areca nut smugglers, they say that these areca nuts are from Manipur and Mizoram but on laboratory tests done by the Indian Plant Quarantine Department, it has been found from Indonesia and Thailand origin.
After a series of raids seizures and interrogations of smugglers in India, it has come to light that North East India state Manipur is also involved in smuggling areca nuts from Thailand and Indonesia. Areca nuts are smuggled in Manipur in Moreh and Chandel Districts which are connected with Myanmar through a bridge. By issuing fake transit pass in Moreh these loaded trucks are sent to the rest of India through Dimapur of Nagaland, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Bokajaan districts of Assam.
What initiative has the Assam Govt taken to stop areca nuts smuggling?
Border Trade Merchant Associations (BTMA)had imposed some stringent import bans to check areca nut smuggling which is going on between India and Myanmar for a long time. Time to time the government stops all vehicle movements on the border bridge connecting India and Myanmar without mentioning any specific reasons. But it has been known that this is done as a measure to stop the illegal smuggling of areca nuts in that area.
Areca nuts are being chewed by 80% of the Indian population. Indias many Ghutka and Pan masala factory owners make a profit in crores every year through this business.
India's 80% population who are addicted to this is not only a health hazard to them but it is also a hazard to the health of the country, as this business id totally dependent on the black market. In India, no strong law has yet been implemented to stop this smuggling.
As vigilant citizens we can stop this illegal areca nut smuggling only if we can create some systematic and organized laws to stop it.
No 1. We can appoint a special Government task force to examine the origin of the products on trucks at all the border points in India in the states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh who are sharing their borders with Myanmar.
No 2. Impose minimum import fees on areca nuts from Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand so that the need to smuggle doesn't arise.
No 3. Impose a huge penalty in case of any arrest or anyone found smuggling areca nuts without paying import duties.
NO 4. Lastly, all Pan masala and Ghutka factories to be timely checked and audited by the government to ensure the quality and the origin of areca nuts in the manufacturing process of the products and in case of any discrepancies found huge penalties to be imposed on them which may result in closing down these factories for Good.
