STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Guwahati Zonal Office, conducted searches at 16 premises in Guwahati, Siliguri, Bagdogra, Phansidewa and Cooch Behar on October 1 in connection with an alleged foreign-origin areca nut smuggling and money laundering case.
The searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The ED said its investigation was based on 11 FIRs registered by Assam and West Bengal Police under various provisions of the IPC, BNS and NDPS Act against persons allegedly involved in the smuggling, transportation and sale of Indonesian, Thai and Burmese-origin areca nut.
According to the ED, the investigation had uncovered an organised network that allegedly brought areca nut from Myanmar across the Indo-Myanmar border into Mizoram before transporting it through Assam and West Bengal to markets in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other States. The consignments were allegedly passed off as Indian-origin produce using forged GST invoices, e-way bills and transport documents.
The agency said shell firms registered in the names of local residents were allegedly used to facilitate the trade, while their GST registrations and bank accounts were controlled by persons based in Silchar. The consignments were subsequently moved through Silchar and Guwahati, where they were allegedly stored, re-bagged and re-documented before being transported towards North and West India.