NEW DELHI: In a major haul, the Customs Preventive Commissionerate on Tuesday seized cigarettes worth Rs.91 lakh illegally imported from Dubai in a container in the guise of a furniture consignment through the Vallarpadam International Container Terminal.
In fact, this was the second major haul in as many weeks as Customs officials had seized cigarettes worth Rs. 67 lakh last Friday in a consignment imported by the same person pegging the total worth of the seizure at over Rs.1.50 crore.
“At the time of the first seizure, we received information that another container was scheduled to arrive and we promptly intercepted it. The consignment was examined in the container freight station and seized,” a senior customs official said. Customs also picked up the person concerned from Kozhikode.
Internationally recognised brands of cigarettes were concealed a false cavity created between the cushion and bottom of sofa sets. Customs has registered a case invoking Section 111 of the Customs Act, which deals with illegal imports.
The cigarettes were also devoid of the mandatory health warning.
