DRI seizes cigarettes worth Rs.24 crore in Mumbai
These cigarettes are prohibited for import into India due to their non-compliance with Indian norms, the DRI confirmed in a release.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Mumbai, charged 1.2 crore cigarettes from foreign firms with an assessed market value of ₹ 24 crore and charged five persons including an importer for allegedly attempting to smuggle them, the DRI reported on Sunday.
These cigarettes are restricted from import into India due to their non-compliance with Indian norms, the DRI confirmed in a release.
Using precise information, it said the sticks were grabbed from a container considered trans-shipped to Arshiya Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) for further clarification.
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The DRI officers maintained a discrete watch on the container’s movement.
It was seen that after the container exited the Nhava Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai, instead of reaching its place, the same was shifted to a secret godown while it was en route to Arshiya FTWZ. The report said the DRI officers then thwarted the container at the godown.
The whole 40-feet container was seen to be stuffed with foreign-origin cigarettes, which are barred from import into India due to their non-compliance with Indian rules, it said.
The release said the syndicate had prepared to smuggle the cigarettes by getting them out from the container and replacing them with goods displayed in import records to mislead customs officers.
Source – NDTV
