Guwahati: The Mizoram government has decided to ban on those possessing the Chinese-origin Kenbo bike illegally procured from Myanmar. On 7 September, Deputy Commissioner of Lunglei district issued a notice prohibiting the using of Kenbo (KB125) bikes that are mostly handled to transport illegal goods along the India-Myanmar border.
The district administration notification comes after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs directed the state government to take “appropriate action” to prevent the illegal using of unregistered Chinese Kenbo bikes in Mizoram, particularly without having a vehicle agreement with the Burmese government. While the Kenbos are in high demand in Myanmar, sources said they are illegally sold in the Indian black market for Rs 30,000-40,000. China has ramped up production in Myanmar in recent years eyeing to expand businesses in South Asian markets, including India and Bangladesh. The 125cc model is preferred by commuters to carry heavy loads up the hilly tracts in border villages.
Recently security forces seized 72 bottles of Myanmar-made liquor ferried in an unregistered Kenbo bike in Champhai district. According to the sources, some of these bikes are locally registered in remote areas by the village council on a payment of Rs 200-250. Between October 2019 and August 2020, the Assam Rifles had seized heroin worth Rs 5.6 crore, methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine tablets with a combined value of Rs 34.16 crore, some of which were transported on these bikes.
India and Myanmar (Burma) have a Free Movement Regime (FMR) that allows people living along the border to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa. But the 512-km-long India-Myanmar border in Mizoram remains a viable option for smugglers and traffickers, and the unhindered movement has further escalated cross-border smuggling. There are 55 crossing points throughout the border and maximum seizures have been made in Champhai district.
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