The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against three former customs officials posted in Champhai for allegedly accepting more than Rs 35 lakh in bribes from smugglers in exchange for releasing seized goods. The accused include one retired superintendent and two inspectors who served with the Customs Preventive Force along the India–Myanmar border.

According to officials, the alleged incidents took place between 2022 and 2023 when consignments of areca nuts and foreign cigarettes without proper documentation were intercepted. Investigators stated that the accused allegedly demanded and received money on multiple occasions to allow the goods to be released.

The FIR was registered on February 3 based on a complaint filed by the Additional Commissioner of CGST in Guwahati, Assam. A subsequent inspection of storage facilities reportedly found that goods worth over Rs 1.42 crore, seized between December 2022 and April 2023, were missing from godowns.

CBI teams conducted searches at locations linked to the accused in Guwahati in Assam, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikar in Rajasthan, Patna in Bihar, and Churachandpur in Manipur. Officials said the investigation is ongoing and further action may follow depending on the findings.

The case comes amid continued enforcement efforts in Mizoram against cross-border smuggling, including illegal areca nut trafficking. In late 2024, the Gauhati High Court had directed a CBI probe into areca nut smuggling following concerns raised by local farmers.