Smuggled cigarettes worth Rs 2.69 crore seized, one arrested

KOLKATA: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized illegally imported cigarettes worth Rs 2.69 crore from West Bengal and arrested one person in this connection, a statement issued by the agency said on Thursday.

The consignment of foreign origin cigarettes was smuggled from Myanmar to India through the porous Indo Myanmar border, the agency said.

Acting on a tip-off, the DRI personnel intercepted a six-wheeler container truck with sticker 'Army On Duty' bearing registration no: NL 01 AD 6862 on September 10, 2019, on National Highway - 34 at Murshidabad, West Bengal and recovered 26.99 lakh sticks of foreign origin cigarettes of different brands such as Win, Paris, Ruili River, Esse Light and Esse Gold, which have their origin in Korea and Myanmar, the statement said.


The interception took place when the said truck was on its way from Naogoan Assam to Dankuni Kolkata. "The driver of seized vehicle, Laxmi Narayan has been arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962," the agency claimed.

With the current seizure the total value of seizure of smuggled cigarettes by DRI Kolkata Zone during the current financial year has gone upto Rs 6.44 crore.