DRI seizes 45,600 kg of areca nuts from two trucks bound for Dimapur; High Court keeps goods seized
DRI officers in Dimapur seized 570 bags of areca nuts worth about Rs 3.19 crore from two trucks intercepted at Kukidolong on 20.12.2025, alleging the nuts were of foreign origin and liable to confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962. The Special Judge in Dimapur had granted the claimant interim custody of the goods on a Rs 10 lakh bond on 12.03.2026. The Gauhati High Court's Kohima Bench allowed DRI's petition on 13.08.2026 and set that release order aside, so the goods stay seized while the criminal case continues.
This page records what the cited court, tribunal and government records say happened. Findings belong to the court or authority that made them; this register adds none of its own. Names of private individuals are withheld unless a naming gate clears them.
How we verify →The criminal case (G.R. Case No. 718/2025) is pending before the Dimapur court and the seized areca nuts and trucks remain under seizure after the High Court set aside the interim release.
What happened
The High Court recorded that DRI Dimapur officers, acting on information received on 19.12.2025 about suspected foreign-origin areca nuts being moved from Manipur, intercepted two trucks at Kukidolong on the national highway towards Dimapur at around 0700 hours on 20.12.2025.
The High Court recorded that the trucks were carrying 570 bags of areca nuts weighing around 45,600 kg with an approximate value of Rs 3,19,52,376, and that the drivers produced a transit pass purportedly issued by the Forest Department, Phek Division, which covered only 25,000 kg.
The seizure led to a customs complaint and G.R. Case No. 718/2025 before the Dimapur court; the Special Judge's order dated 12.03.2026 granting interim custody of the goods on furnishing a bond of Rs 10 lakh with surety was set aside when the High Court allowed DRI's criminal petition.
The case as recorded involves only the alleged smuggling of areca nuts and the validity of the custody release; no violence, fraud, minors, drugs, gold, arms, wildlife or complaining victim is mentioned anywhere in the order.
What the record says
“the impugned order dated 12.03.2026, passed by the Court of learned Principal District and Session Judge/Special Judge, Dimapur in G.R. Case No. 718/2025 corresponding to DRI Case No. 02/ CL/ IMP/ ARECA/ DRI/ DiRU/ 2025-26 is hereby set aside. This criminal petition is accordingly allowed.”
Crl. Pet./18/2026 (Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench), paras 29–30 (operative order) — read the full text
A peaceful economic act
Carrying and storing areca nuts, an ordinary farm produce, is peaceful trade with no complainant victim; the state seized Rs 3.19 crore worth of goods plus two trucks purely on alleged duty-evasion and foreign-origin grounds.
What we could not confirm
The order as hosted does not state the district of the Kukidolong interception point, so district is left null; no final confiscation or penalty has been ordered yet; the respondent's name is withheld from this text and kept only in names_in_source.