NewzVille Desk
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, has neutralized a major attempt to smuggle foreign-origin cigarettes into the country. Acting on precise 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. It is valued at ₹ 13.18 crore.
The smugglers have imported cigarettes by declaring the cargo as “coated calcium carbonate” to make it appear as 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.
The import was in clear violation of the Customs Act, 1962 and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008, as amended by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare notification dated 26 March 2018. The consignment has been seized as per the provisions of Customs Act.
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.
The 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.
