Acting on a tip-off, the Burmese police arrested Pu Kap Cung (name changed) a trader from Chin state who was smuggling Zarda (92) on horses to Kalay town in Sagaing division from Tio river on the Indo-Burma border.

The arrested trader was said to be transporting Zarda through the jungle to avoid paying tax.  He was caught near Tuithang village, Tedim town.

"Zarda is not an alcoholic item. It is just a powder for betel leaves. No country ever seizes stuff like this. If it is banned how come there are so many shops in Madalay selling Zarda?" asked a trader from Chin state.

A porter can carry only half the Zarda boxes on a wage of Kyat 50,000 while a horse can carry two boxes with a hire charge of Kyat 1 lakh.

Zarda (92), the tobacco chewed with betel leaves, is available at for Rs. 18,000 a box in Aizawl, capital of Mizoram state. India can sell at Kyat 750,000 in Mandalay, second capital of Burma . There are 360 packets of Zarda in one box.

"No one has used the jungle route before. It is transported by vehicle along the highway. After the authorities started to collect tax on whatever item is transported along the highway, the route through the jungle became another option for traders", said a trader from Chin state.  

Despite traders smuggling items along the jungle route the police have arrested many traders and some lost whatever they invested on the goods," the trader added.

Goods like Zarda were freely transported by paying tax earlier. However, from this year the Burmese military regime has banned Zarda from entering Burma. – Khonumthung.