Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, has foiled a major attempt to smuggle foreign-origin cigarettes into the country and has arrested one person allegedly involved in the case, agency officials said on Thursday. The smugglers had imported cigarettes by declaring the cargo as “coated calcium carbonate” to make it appear a genuine import and mislead the officials.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted a consignment at Nhava Sheva Port and seized a container holding 1,014 cartons of TOP GUN brand cigarettes—totalling 1,01,40,000 sticks and valued at Rs 13.18 crore.
"The smugglers have imported cigarettes by declaring the cargo as “coated calcium carbonate” to make it appear a genuine import and mislead the officials. One person responsible for the import has been arrested by DRI officials and has been remanded to fourteen days judicial custody by the court," said a DRI official.
The agency officials said that the said importation was in clear violation of the Customs Act and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules. The consignment has been seized the provisions of Customs Act.
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"The smuggling of foreign-origin cigarettes not only results in substantial revenue loss to the government and distorts fair competition in the domestic tobacco industry, but also poses a serious threat to public health. These illicit cigarettes often evade statutory compliance with health and safety regulations, including those mandated under the COTPA Act, such as pictorial warnings and content disclosures. As a result, consumers—especially youth and economically vulnerable groups—are exposed to unregulated and potentially more harmful products," the official added.
The DRI is committed to combat such smuggling and disrupt criminal syndicates causing harm to public health and safety, officials said.
