Aizawl: Smuggling of drugs and Burmese areca nuts across the India–Myanmar border has seen a marked decline following strengthened security deployment along the frontier, Chief Minister Lalduhoma was informed during a review meeting on Wednesday.
According to an official statement, the Chief Minister chaired a review of the Home Department and the Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Department.
Officials from the Home Department briefed him that 12 police stations and 10 Assam Rifles duty posts are currently operating along the 510-km international border, contributing to tighter surveillance.
They reported that both drug trafficking and the smuggling of illegally sourced areca nuts have decreased in recent months due to heightened checks and coordinated enforcement.
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The meeting was also informed that preparations are underway to begin construction of border haats, with the first facility to come up at Zote in Champhai district as per directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Since October, 21,238 people have been issued border passes under the Free Movement Regime (FMR) to facilitate regulated cross-border travel, the statement said.
Officials added that the next round of talks between Mizoram and Assam to resolve the long-pending inter-state border dispute is currently being scheduled.
