ED cracks down on Burmese areca nut smugglers in Assam; money trail leads to trader in Delhi

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids in Assam, targeting 10 residential and business locations linked to eight individuals suspected of smuggling Burmese areca nuts. The operation, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), was initiated based on a complaint filed in the Gauhati High Court in 2022. The investigation traced the money trail of the alleged smugglers to traders in Delhi, the ED reported on Thursday (August 6, 2026).

The investigation revealed a three-tier smuggling network. The first tier involved Burmese suppliers delivering consignments of areca nuts to Mizoram-based facilitators at warehouses in Champhai, bypassing customs clearance. The main facilitators identified were Lalhnemi, Zosangpuii, and Zonunsang. These facilitators then arranged for the onward supply of the smuggled areca nuts to purchasers or financiers based in southern Assam's Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi districts.

At the third tier, Assam-based financiers sold the smuggled areca nuts or routed the sale proceeds to purchasers or financiers outside the northeast. The investigation identified Romi Jain, the proprietor of Delhi-based Ganpati Traders, as conducting significant transactions with entities involved in the illegal smuggling of areca nuts in Silchar and Mizoram.

The ED's analysis of bank transactions revealed that large sums of money were involved in these transactions, amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees. The illicit trade of Burmese areca nuts is primarily due to attempts to evade customs duties and taxes. Such smuggling involves forgery, money laundering, and results in substantial revenue losses and undermines domestic farmers.