At least six vehicles, allegedly carrying smuggled areca nuts from Myanmar, were set on fire by a mob in western Mizoram’s Mamit district, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday on the National Highway-108 near Zamuang and Zawlnuam villages, when a group of around 50 people intercepted the vehicles and torched these goods carriers along with the consignments, Mamit district Superintendent of Police Lalthangpui Pulamte said.

The vehicles were heading towards Kanhmun on the Mizoram-Tripura border.

A case has been registered at Kanhmun Police Station, she said.

“An investigation has been initiated. No person has been arrested and no one has so far claimed responsibility for the incident,” Pulamte said.

The incident happened about a month after an areca nut growers’ society in Mamit’s Hachhek assembly constituency had demanded action on vehicles carrying smuggled Burmese areca nuts.

The society also warned that it would take no responsibility for any untoward incident.

It had, in October, held a demonstration, demanding that the state government must ensure that locally grown areca nuts are transported and sold in Assam.

The society’s general secretary Lalremruata Khiangte claimed that none of their members was involved in Saturday’s incident.

“People in the Hachhek area are disappointed as smuggled Burmese areca nuts affect their markets,” he said.

Last week, Mizoram Rajya Sabha member K Vanlalvena raised the issue in Parliament and claimed that the restriction imposed by Assam has adversely affected areca nut farmers and traders in Mizoram and Jampui Hills of Tripura. 

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