DRI seizes foreign cigarettes worth Rs 10 crore from cargo containers in Mumbai

The customs clearing agent would also face an inquiry, officials said.

In December, the DRI had seized cigarettes worth around Rs 6 crore from a container at Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai. (File Photo)

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Mumbai recently foiled an attempt to smuggle foreign cigarettes by misdeclaring them as “Chinese Viscose Woven Carpet”, through sea route import cargo containers.

Acting on specific intelligence, the central agency caught the consignment after examining two containers at the Nhava Sheva port. The DRI, however, has not specified the date of the operation.

One examining the first container, Esse Change — cigarettes made in Korea — was recovered. The second container contained 325 rolls of old and used carpets, which were being used as cover cargo to hoodwink the authorities, states DRI.

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Search of both the containers resulted in the recovery of 67.20 lakh foreign brand cigarettes worth Rs 10.08 crore. Old and used carpets were also seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, the DRI added.
Cigarettes were smuggled from the import-export number of a company. The DRI is checking details of the importer.

The customs clearing agent would also face an inquiry, officials said.

The agency suspects that these cigarettes were first transported from the original manufacturing country to UAE and from UAE to Mumbai.

In December, the DRI had seized cigarettes worth around Rs 6 crore from a container at Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai. At the end of December 2023, the agency had caught a consignment of foreign brand cigarettes worth Rs 2.4 crore from the Mumbai air cargo complex and arrested an agent.

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