2 businessmen held over bid to smuggle e-cigarettes, drones, toy latex balloons
According to the sources, the officials from SIIB received an information that two consignments of contraband items will be illegally imported through Nhava Sheva port.
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The two businessmen were on a run for over three weeks but they were traced and arrested on Friday for violation of provisions of the Customs Act.
The Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch of the Customs department Friday arrested two Mumbai-based businessmen for allegedly trying to illegally smuggle over 20,000 e-cigarettes, over 1,000 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones and over 50,000 pieces of toys and toy latex balloons from Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai.
According to the sources, the officials from SIIB received an information that two consignments of contraband items will be illegally imported through Nhava Sheva port.
“A team intercepted the consignments on May 22 and found that 20,920 pieces of e-cigarettes which is prohibited under Prohibition of electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019, 1,792 pieces of drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) which are also prohibited by Ministry of Civil Aviation as per Drone Rules, 2021, and 58,500 pieces of toys and toys latex balloons violating the provisions of Bureau of Indian Standard No. IS 9873:2019 and IS 15644:2006 were being smuggled,” read the press note issued by the Nhava Sheva customs authorities.
The seized goods are worth Rs 5 crore, said an officials. During the course of investigation, the officials learnt about the involvement of the two businessmen.
“Two Mumbai-based businessmen were found to be key player of this smuggling racket and had connived with each other in the smuggling of these contraband items through Nhava Sheva port,” said an official.
The two businessmen were on a run for over three weeks but they were traced and arrested on Friday for violation of provisions of the Customs Act.
The two persons were produced before court which remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days.
“One member of this smuggling syndicate had already been arrested by SIIB (Import), Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House, Nhava Sheva on May 12, 2023 in connection of another investigation into illegal import of e-cigarettes,” the press note read.
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