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Customs officials seized about 3,90,000 cigarette sticks of 'Paris & Midland Black' brands (foreign cigarettes) worth nearly Rs 38.90 lakh while being transported unauthorisedly near Visakhapatnam railway station here on Saturday.
Based on information on the transportation of foreign cigarettes in a parcel from Khurda to Visakhapatnam through Amaravati Express (Train No. 18407) & Prasanthi Express (Train No. 18463), two teams of officers from the Customs House reached the railway station. En-route to the railway station, Visakhapatnam one team of officers intercepted two suspected Auto Rickshaws loaded with each 02 boxes and parked on the road connecting Railway Parcel Office to Convent Junction and recovered 1.20 lakh cigarettes. The officials found that a person loaded the cigarette boxes in the auto-rickshaws and had gone inside to bring back more parcels. Another team of officers intercepted 07 suspected boxes offloaded from Amaravati Express and 02 more suspected boxes near the Railway parcel office and recovered 2.69 lakh cigarettes. On enquiry with the railway officials, the Customs officers have found that none have come to collect the consignment. Based on markings on the packets, these cigarettes seem to be originating from Myanmar. According to officials, no pictorial warning was found and no information regarding the date or year of manufacture or MRP was found on the packet. All the cigarettes were seized by the Customs department. (ANI)
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