Customs officials have seized 52 gold biscuits valued at Rs 269 lakh from Mizoram and arrested two Myanmar nationals in this connection...

Customs officials have seized 52 gold biscuits valued at Rs 269 lakh from Mizoram and arrested two Myanmar nationals in this connection, a senior customs official said. Superintendent of the anti-smuggling unit of the Aizawl customs division, L H Haokip said, acting on a tip-off, the customs officials intercepted a car at Seling customs check-gate on Tuesday and seized the gold bars, weighing eight kilograms, from the possession of the two persons. The Seling customs check-gate is located 40 kilometers from the state capital.

The two persons were identified as David Muangpi (23) and Somkhankap (19) -- residents of Sanmeuh Kawlpi and Tahan areas of Myanmar respectively. They were arrested and produced before a local court here yesterday, Haokip said. Customs officials said that gold smuggling from Myanmar, using Mizoram as a conduit, is on the rise in the state since 2015. The Mizoram police had on Monday seized gold bars worth over Rs 3 crore from Champhai district and arrested one person in this connection.