ED Raids Nine Locations in Mizoram Over ₹970 Crore Myanmar Areca Nut Smuggling and Money Laundering Network

June 5, 2026 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches at nine locations in Champhai district of Mizoram as part of an investigation into an alleged Myanmar areca nut smuggling and money laundering racket involving proceeds of crime exceeding ₹970 crore.

According to the agency, its investigation uncovered a well-organized network through which Burmese nationals allegedly smuggled dry areca nuts into India across the Tiau River without obtaining mandatory customs clearance. The consignments were reportedly brought through the border areas of Zokhawthar and Champhai and handed over to local facilitators operating on the Indian side.

The ED stated that these facilitators stored the smuggled areca nuts in warehouses located in Champhai before arranging their transportation to Vairengte, situated near the Assam-Mizoram border. The operation was allegedly financed by traders and financiers based in Silchar, Assam, who transferred substantial amounts through banking channels to accounts held by facilitators in Mizoram.

The probe agency further revealed that fraudulent e-way bills worth ₹251.19 crore under State GST (SGST) and ₹86.25 crore under Central GST (CGST) were generated in Champhai district between 2021 and 2024 to facilitate the movement of the smuggled consignments. These e-way bills were allegedly issued using forged plantation certificates and fabricated customs clearance documents.

Investigators also found that the plantation owners whose names were used in the documentation were not registered under the GST regime, raising serious concerns about the authenticity of the records and the scale of the alleged tax evasion and money laundering activities linked to the smuggling network.