Customs seizes contraband cigarettes worth over Rs 98 L in Guwahati city

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Personnel of the Guwahati Customs Division seized 4,93,400 sticks of contraband foreign cigarettes - valued at almost Rs 1 crore (Rs 98,68,000) - during two separate operations in the city on Tuesday.

According to Customs department sources, information was received that a consignment of cigarettes of foreign origin had been booked at Blue Dart Express Ltd near the junction of Zoo Road and Ambikagiri Nagar here. A Customs team immediately proceeded to the location and identified the specific consignment containing the cigarette packages as per the AWB number received. A total of five packages had been booked under the said AWB and on checking the contents of each package, the customs officers detected cigarettes of foreign origin - Win and Esse Light brands of Chinese and Korean origin.

A total of 1,48,000 sticks of foreign-origin cigarette valued at Rs 29,60,000 was recovered and seized. The contents of all the packages had been declared as 'Damaged Fabric Garments'. Further, investigation of the case is on.

The sources added that immediately after detection of the consignment at the courier service, fresh information was received that a vehicle (AS-01/NC-8940) containing a huge consignment of smuggled foreign cigarettes was approaching the same area for unloading of the consignment at Blue Dart Express Ltd. As soon as the vehicle coming from the Ganeshguri side took a u-turn at the junction, the Customs team intercepted the vehicle and on preliminary search detected cigarettes of foreign origin - Esse Light Super Slim, made in Korea. While one person managed to flee in the ensuing melee, one person was apprehended. Subsequent detailed checking of the eight packages, including one big steel trunk, resulted in recovery of 3,45,400 sticks of cigarettes valued at Rs 69,08,000.

The sources further informed that besides these seizures, the Guwahati Customs Division has in the recent past seized 45,54,627 cigarette sticks in 29 different cases, which were worth around Rs 7,35,56,680.

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