AHMEDABAD: Foreign made cigarettes worth Rs 23 crore were seized this year at a port in Hazira. Along with illicit trade of tobacco fake auto components market in the state too is expanding rapidly, said experts of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FICCI) Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE).
“Gujarat is one of the fastest growing markets for illegal cigarettes and auto components in the country. Supply of legal cigarettes is showing a decline while the illegal players have taken over this market and is growing at a faster rate,” said PC Jha, Adviser FICCI CASCADE and former Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs while unveiling a report on ”Illicit Market: A Threat to Our National Interest’ in city on Friday.
In case of auto components and computer hardware, the illegal market in the state is also growing significantly in terms of value and volume.
“High VAT (Value Added Tax) makes legally-procured cigarettes expensive. This is the reason for rapid- growth of illegal cigarette industry in the state,” added SS Trivedi, IGP (Economic Offenses Wing, CID Crime), Government of Gujarat.
