3.93 Cr Cigarette Sticks Seized by Customs, DRI

New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) Customs authorities and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have seized about 3.93 crore sticks of cigarettes in the current financial year up to June this year to check the sale of illicit tobacco in the market, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Further, the CGST (Central Goods and Service Tax) zones and DGGI (Directorate General of GST Intelligence) have detected 61 cases of Guthka, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, pan masala involving tax amounting to about Rs 104.38 crore till June this fiscal.

"Customs Field Formations and DRI have seized around 3.93 crore sticks of cigarettes in the current financial year up to June 2025," Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

India is a party to World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and has ratified the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, he added.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is also working with the Department of Revenue for the implementation of a track and trace mechanism for tobacco products in accordance with a provision of FCTC protocol, the minister said.