DRI Seizes Rs 18.2 Cr Worth Cigarettes

New Delhi, Jun 24 (PTI) Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials have seized 92.1 lakh sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes valued at about Rs 18.2 crore, the finance ministry said on Tuesday.

Acting on a specific intelligence that cigarettes of foreign origin are being smuggled into India from Dubai under the guise of "bathroom and sanitary fittings", the officers of DRI, Chennai Zonal Unit, held a container bound to J-Matadee FTWZ (Foreign Trade Warehouse Zone).

Detailed examination revealed that the goods in the said container were mis-declared and it contained 92.1 lakh sticks of foreign origin cigarettes of various brands such as 'Manchester United Kingdom', 'Manchester United Kingdom Special Edition' and 'Mac Ice Superslims cool blast', instead of the declared goods.

"In continuation of its fight against illegal smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in a major operation, has seized 92.1 lakh sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes valued at approximately Rs 18.2 crore on June 23," the ministry said.

Further, the cigarettes do not comply with the packaging and labelling requirements as per the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, including the absence of statutory health warnings.

The contraband has been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is under progress, the statement added.

In the past year alone, the DRI has seized a total of 4.4 crore sticks of both foreign origin and counterfeit cigarettes that were being smuggled through ports in Chennai. The value of these seized cigarettes is estimated at Rs 79.67 crore.