15 May,2023 05:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan Khan
The cigarettes that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized on Sunday
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Sunday seized banned foreign-origin cigarettes from imported cargo that was being trans-shipped from Nhava Sheva Port to a warehouse, sources in the DRI said.
The 40-foot container was originally authorised to be trans-shipped to Arshiya Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) for further clearance. However, while en route, it was diverted to a private warehouse. DRI officers, who were monitoring the container, intercepted it at the warehouse and seized the contraband, the sources said.
The seized packets contained more than one crore sticks of banned foreign cigarettes, they added.
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According to the sources, discrete vigil was kept on the movement of the container by DRI officers.
"While monitoring the movement of the container, we immediately sensed suspicious activities and intercepted it at the godown. The entire container was found to be stuffed with foreign-origin cigarettes that are banned for import in India due to non-compliance with Indian standards," an officer told mid-day.
The sources said that the syndicate had planned to remove the cigarettes and load the container with goods declared in import documents to hoodwink the Customs authorities. "The godown was already stocked with the declared goods that were supposed to be loaded in the container after removing the cigarettes. Then, the container was to be taken to Arshiya FTZ, as approved," the officer said.
Nearly 1.07 crore sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes of Esse, Dunhill, Mond and Gudang Garam brands were recovered from the imported container worth Rs 24 lakh.
Later, following further investigation, officers seized another stash of 13 lakh cigarettes of foreign origin of various brands like Esse lights and Mond that were smuggled earlier by the same syndicate. These were stocked in another godown, the sources added.
"The DRI has been constantly engaged in busting such designs of syndicates smuggling contraband, misusing SEZ and FTWZ schemes, thereby protecting government revenue and also protecting society from the harmful effects of illicit tobacco," the agency said in a statement.
Rs 24l
Worth of the seized cigarettes
