Picturesque Jampui Hills in Tripura is reportedly becoming a notorious ‘smuggling corridor’ as unscrupulous elements are smuggling cattle and areca nuts from Myanmar to Bangladesh through Jampui Hills. 

The vehicles are carrying smuggled items via Mizoram and entering in Tripura through Jampui Hills before sending the items to Bangladesh.

On May 2, Two vehicles carrying 24 cattle of Burmese species were chased and detained by the Tripura police in the Manpui area along the Kanchanpur-Machmaara Road in North district.

The drivers and their assistants were also detained by the police. The vehicles carrying the cattle were reportedly coming from Myanmar, via Mizoram and had entered Tripura through Jampui Hills and proceeding towards Indo-Bangladesh border to smuggle the cattle.

Based on report that two vehicles crossed the Kanchanpur naka along the Jampui hill road, SDPO of Kanchanpur subdivision, M Krishna Chandrashekhar and OC of Kanchanpur Udyana Debbarma, along with the police force, chased the vehicles and managed to stop them at the Manpui area. 

Upon inspection, Police found 24 cattle – 12 in each of the two vehicles – were jampacked in the vehicles for which the drivers could not produce receipts of cattle purchase and a license for carrying cattle. 

The condition of the cattle was critical as there was no fodder or water for them.

The police arrested the drivers and assistants, identified as Akhtar Hussain (23), Yunus Mia (22), Mamun Mia (22), and Gobinda Sen (31), who admitted to smuggling the cattle to Bangladesh. They were reportedly involved in cattle smuggling for a long time.

In recent time, smugglers are using the Jampui Hills corridor to smuggle cattle and areca nuts from Myanmar via Mizoram. Local volunteers of Jampui Hills detained several vehicles carrying cows and areca nuts illegally. 

The locals alleged that a section of police personnel are hand in gloves with the smugglers – people even gave deputation raising their allegations and claimed they have supporting photos etc. 

The thriving smuggling through Jampui Hills needs to be addressed in a stern manner without delay, Jampui residents opined.