NEW DELHI: Two hundred cartons of contraband cigarette boxes were seized by the officials of the Special Investigation and Intelligence Branch (SIIB) of Tuticorin Custom House. The value of the seized contraband was estimated to be Rs. 1.32 crore and duty attempted to be evaded was Rs. 1.10 crore.
The cigarette boxes were found concealed behind paper reels, Assistant Commissioner Piyush Bhardwaj said while addressing the media at Custom House here on Tuesday evening.
On the basis of intelligence received about undeclared cargo concealed in a container, which arrived from Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates, the SIIB officials checked all containers and documents originating from the port, identified the container and moved it to Chola logistics container freight station.
The first four rows in the container were stacked with light weight coated paper reels of 60 cm width as declared in the bill of entry and behind them the contraband was found concealed, Mr. Bhardwaj said.
The government adopted the policy of discouraging consumption of cigarettes by imposing hefty customs duty on cigarettes. So a few traders in India were bringing in cigarettes concealed in cargo which attracted lesser duty.
The entire cargo along with the container was seized. Further investigation was on to nab the real culprits behind the incident, he said.
Additional Commissioner Suresh Nandanwar led the operation by the SIIB, he said.
SIIB Superintendents C. Thirumalai Muthu, S. Selva and D. James Armstrong, and Inspectors C.S. Saravana Kumar, S. Murugesan and S. Lakshmanasamy inspected the container with the contraband at the container freight station.
Earlier on December 11, the SIIB officials arrested A. Selvakumar (45) of Tuticorin for his alleged involvement in providing transport assistance to a red sanders smuggler. The officials also seized 8.121 tonnes of red sanders worth Rs. 3.65 crore.
