DRI seizes Rs 1.5 cr worth of cigarettes smuggled from UAE

The DRI has seized over Rs 1.5 crore worth of cigarettes smuggled into the country from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the guise of facial tissue papers.

Acting on inputs, the officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) located a container at Haldia port near here which had been declared to contain 260 cartons of facial tissue paper.

On examination of the contents of the container, total 15,40,000 pieces of foreign-origin cigarettes of popular brands, namely Mond' and Gudang Garam', packed in 110 cartons were recovered yesterday, according to a statement issued today by the DRI.

These cigarettes which were smuggled into India under concealment of 150 cartons of 'Feel' brand facial tissue paper.

The recovered cigarettes, some of which even having no statutory warning/pictorial warning on the packet along with tissue papers, totally valued at Rs 1.55 crore have been seized, it said.

In another case, the DRI officials have seized about 908-kg ganja in Assam yesterday.

They intercepted a 12-wheel truck at Khanapara in Guwahati and recovered 907.950 kgs of ganja contained in 44 packets which were concealed in a makeshift chamber constructed on the top of the body of the truck.

The truck also contained a load of 20 MT of cement bags. The entire consignment of ganja and 400 cement bags were seized, the statement said.