The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has announced the confiscation of foreign-origin cigarettes valued at Rs 6.5 crore at Mundra port. This development followed specific intelligence leads.
DRI officers in Ahmedabad intercepted an import consignment at Mundra port, which had been declared as “Auto Air Freshener” and originated from Jebel Ali port. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the initial row of packages in the container indeed contained “Auto Air Freshener.” However, behind this facade, all the packages concealed foreign-origin cigarettes.
A significant portion of these foreign-made cigarettes bore the label “Made in Turkey.” Consequently, a total of 32.5 lakhs of these cigarette sticks were confiscated under Panchanama proceedings, with an estimated value of approximately Rs. 6.5 crores.
Furthermore, some of the cigarette packets displayed a “Made in India” marking, raising suspicions of potential attempts to import counterfeit cigarettes or similar products. Authorities are collaborating with field experts to ascertain the nature of this possible infringement.
The investigation into this matter is currently underway.
