Foreign cigarettes worth Rs 8 cr seized in Vijayawada by Customs

K. Engineer, Commissioner of Custom Commissionerate (Preventive) informed that Vijayawada have detected a huge smuggling of Paris brand foreign cigarettes in the Vijayawada city, which were being concealed and carried in two lorries.

On Tuesday, acting in a tip off about the smuggling of foreign brand cigarettes into Vijayawada city in lorries, Customs had kept surveillance and in the early hours intercepted a lorry with Tamil Nadu registration on suspicion at Kesarpalli, on Vijayawada -Visakhapatnam National High Way (NH-16).

Upon receiving the intelligence on similar modus operandi, another team proceeded to Vijayawada-Hyderabad road and intercepted a lorry with Bihar registration. On inspection, it was found that both vehicles were loaded each with 134 High-density polyethylene (HDPE) sacks containing smuggled goods stitched from the top.

On questioning, the drivers revealed that the loaded vehicles started from Patna, Bihar and they drove it to Vijayawada as per the instructions of booking agent. They stated that they are not aware of the contents of the packages booked for deliveries.

"The search of the intercepted lorries resulted in seizure of 80,40,000 Paris brand cigarettes packed in 804 cartons under the Customs Act,1962. The total value of the cigarettes seized is about Rs 8 Crores (approx)," he said.

He added, "Smuggling foreign cigarettes is a lucrative business to black marketeers to make a huge profit as they avoid customs duty."

Smuggled cigarettes don't have pictorial warnings on them, as is mandatory as per the provisions of Tobacco Products (prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003.

The cigarettes don't have manufacturing address on the packets and no bills of procuring or importing. Further investigation is on.

This is the highest-ever seizure of Smuggled foreign cigarettes reported by the Customs Commissionerate (Preventive), Vijayawada since its formation in 2014.

Since June 2022, sustained efforts by the customs officers have yielded substantial results. Apart from the record seizure of 10.7kg Gold in June, officers of customs seized huge quantity of cigarettes in two cases, booked in quick succession in August 2022. (ANI)