New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out massive search operations across nine spots in the border town of Champhai along the Mizoram-Myanmar frontier in its ongoing investigation into the case of large-scale smuggling of illegal Burmese dry areca nuts into India.

The search operation is continued from early morning in close coordination with the Mizoram Police.

Officials said this major crackdown 'targets a highly organised cross-border network heavily involved in the large-scale smuggling of illegal Burmese supari (dry Areca nuts) into India.'

'The ongoing raids focus primarily on the residences and business premises of prominent local facilitators of the smuggling network,' the officials, privy to the operation, told ANI.

ED investigation reveals 'these individuals illegally brought in Myanmar-origin consignments via the Tiu River, stored them in local godowns, and used fraudulent e-way bills and forged documents to pass them off as legitimate local purchases.'

'This illicit pipeline facilitated the generation and systematic layering of hundreds of crores of rupees,' the officials said.

Furthermore, they said, the accused actively exploited their local tribal status to act as 'front claimants' before Customs authorities, using unrelated historic import documents to secure the release of seized contraband. (ANI)