Police on Thursday confiscated a huge amount of betel nuts meant to be smuggled to India.

The betel nuts worth over Rs 80 million were confiscated from Budhanagar in Biratnagar Metropolitan City-18, police said.

Chief District Officer of Morang Kashi Raj Dahal said that police seized 219, 596 betel nuts packed in 2,678 sacks from eight trucks bearing Indian registration number plates.

The market price of the seized betel nuts is Rs 86. 30 million.

Police said that they have taken the trucks (UP 45 T 1624, MP 09 HG 8320, MP 22 H 1031, UP 50 BT 7277, UP 62 T 8121, UP 54 T 6429, UP 50 AT 3158 and UP 62 CT 0627) under control for investigation.

According to a police source, betel nuts imported from third countries are found being smuggled to India through Nepal.

India has banned the import of betel nuts from the countries except Nepal.

The source, however, said that the people smuggle the betel nuts from Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia among other countries to India taking the advantage of open border.

Police said that the confiscated betel nuts may belong to a businessman of Jhapa.

Betel nuts with a huge amount are not produced in Nepal.