Tura, Mar 8: Five major student and social organizations from Garo Hills have written to authorities demanding a clamp down on the illegal export of sugar and smuggling in of arecanut from Myanmar through the Bangladesh border into Garo Hills.

Leaders of A’CHIK, FKJGP, Garoland State Movement Committee, A’chik Youth Welfare Organization and another pressure group from Nongalbibra (AOSW) jointly submitted a petition to South Garo Hills deputy commissioner on Thursday seeking the intervention of the government to halt the rampant illegal export of sugar from the country into Bangladesh and the huge entry of arecanut (betelnuts) through the international border in Baghmara and Rongara of South Garo Hills.

Hundreds of mini trucks are making their way from Guwahati, Dudhnoi and Goalpara in Assam, including Tura as well, carrying thousands of sacks of sugar bound for illegal export into Bangladesh.

The modus operandi is such that the very same trucks are loaded with hundreds of sacks of arecanut smuggled in before making their journey through East and North Garo Hills into Damra- Dudhnoi in Assam where the commodity ends up in factories processing dried betelnuts or supari.

The protesting bodies point out that revenue meant for the country is being drained out by this huge smuggling racket which is being down after dark in the border areas despite presence of sentinels at the border.

“This loss of revenue for the government is one part, the farmers of Garo Hills who have devoted years and hundreds of acres of land for arecanut are incurring huge losses because of this racket,” pointed out the protest groups.

This racket of sugar and arecanut smuggling was initially found to be prevalent in the border states of Nagaland and Manipur, but has also cropped up in Garo Hills since last year.

To make matters worse, villagers residing in the border belt of Garo Hills seldom report the incidents as many able body men from the villagers are hired as porters to trasport the smuggled items earning a substantial amount in a place they seldom get employment.