K'taka: Foreign-made cigarettes worth Rs 54 lakhs seized, one arrested

In an operation carried out by the office of the commissioner of customs, foreign-made cigarettes were seized worth Rs 54 lakhs and arrested a man here on August 29.

The release read, "Customs officers in Bengaluru on August 29, seized 12 foreign-made cigarettes in a train from Agartala to Bengaluru worth of Rs. 54 lakhs. The cigarette seized were Esse Light, Esse Golds and Gudang Garam. In this operation, one person was also arrested."

"The foreign-made cigarettes are contraband items and it is prohibited as there are no pictorial health warning as required under the provisions of the cigarettes and other tobacco products Amendments Rules 2017," it added.

It is pertinent to note that cigarettes cannot be sold in India without the said warnings prescribed and selling of such cigarettes without the pictorial health warning is illegal, the official statement said.

The intelligence unit is keeping a close watch on all contraband goods being shipped through trains and other modes of vehicles coming into Karnataka.

Further investigation is underway.