Customs seizes cigarettes

MUMBAI, OCT 18: Customs has arrested two persons in connection with the alleged smuggling of foreign cigarettes and confectionery worth Rs 76 lakh. The cigarettes were cleared along with biscuits and confectionery at Nhava Sheva port under a bill of entry for goods worth only Rs five lakh.

Sleuths of the the Special Intelligence Unit of Marine and Preventive customs intercepted a tempo containing 40 cartons of Benson and Hedges brand of cigarettes, valued at Rs nine lakh at Bandra on Wednesday night. They arrested one Amrut Solanki, who led them to a godown, also in Bandra.

At the godown they found another truckload full of cigarettes valued at Rs 53 lakh and biscuits and cookies worth Rs 13 lakh. The godown owner, one Nitesh Sadarangani, who claimed to have got them cleared at the airport, however, could not produce any documents to back his claim. Sadarangani has also been arrested. The goods had been brought from Rotterdam.