Delhi Customs seizes over 7 lakh sticks of foreign origin cigarettes worth Rs 1 cr

Apart from these foreign-origin cigarettes, packets of Indian brand cigarettes containing a total of 30,21,500 sticks were also found.

"No documents could be shown by the owner of the goods about the procurement of such goods. The owner of the goods, who got the premises hired, has been apprehended. Further enquiry is on," the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

The Chief Commissioner of Delhi Customs (Preventive), Surjit Bhujabal said, "There is zero tolerance in respect of smuggling of cigarettes into the country. Further strict measures are being followed in respect of provisions under Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003. Smuggling has a deleterious impact on our economy."

Indian Customs has been making continuous efforts for combating the illegal smuggling of cigarettes into India.

The officers of Delhi Customs Preventive commissioner, on receiving a specific intelligence about unlawful storage of prohibited Cigarettes of Foreign Brand and also an illicit supply of country-made Cigarettes without payment of GST, the officers of Delhi Customs Preventive searched the Godown premises at an Industrial Area in Delhi.

The ministry said that the smuggling of cigarettes involves the illicit transportation of it between Continents, Countries and Provinces via air or sea transport, usually with the aim of circumventing taxes and other restrictions on Imports and Exports.

This enables smugglers to re-sell this item at a reduced price and/or recuperate the cost that would typically be paid to the state in the form of customs duty.

"Presently, more than 100 International smuggled cigarette brands are flooding the Indian market from all over the globe. The smuggled cigarettes are approximately 5 times cheaper than the duty-paid cigarettes. E.g. legally duty-paid cigarettes would cost Rs 330 per ten cigarettes and smuggled cigarettes would cost Rs 60 or 80 per ten cigarettes," the statement added. (ANI)