Guwahati Now Transit Point for Contrabandists and Smugglers

Various informal commodities worth Rs 5.95 crore seized over four months

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Sept 13: Despite increased vigilance on smuggling and other form of informal trade, starting from the bootleggers to the inter-state and international contrabandists, Guwahati has been emerging as one of the safe passes for smuggling. Keeping the increased seizure volume in mind, one can fairly assume that the market exists behind is also equally growing.

This presumption is strengthened by the volume of informal commodities seized by the Custom Division, Guwahati. During the 2018-19 financial years, the Customs Division, Guwahati seized various informal commodities worth Rs 5,95,53,480 in and around its jurisdiction from April 1 to July 26, 2018.

Various illicit commodities seized during this period included, printing chemicals worth Rs 19,05,552, blank revolver worth Rs 50,000, gold biscuits worth Rs 25,086,895, leopard skin and bones worth Rs 10,50,000, gold worth Rs 8,906,963, tracker telescope (monetary value is yet to be ascertained), Godzilla mosquito repellant worth Rs 5,40,000, cigarette worth Rs 17,50,000, readymade garments worth Rs 4,98,570, Godzilla worth Rs 74,800, apples worth Rs 9,45,000, ganja worth Rs 388,900, opium worth Rs 19,11,800 and meth, heroin & morphine worth Rs 1,64,45,000. Hence, the value of the total seizure altogether stood at Rs 5,95,53,480 crore. As per as Guwahati is considered as the gateway of northeast, an absolute scrutiny and vigilance upon the informal traders has equally been a major challenge. Moreover, since Assam shares porous international boundaries with Bangladesh and Bhutan and inter-state boundaries with Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, tracking of the entry and exit of the informal traders’ racket also become a herculean task.