The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 3 lakh sticks of smuggled foreign-origin cigarettes valued at Rs 45 lakh from a truck in Gorakhpur, officials confirmed on Saturday. The cigarettes were concealed in a specially built hidden cavity behind the driver's cabin.
Operation Details
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, DRI officers received information that a large consignment of cigarettes smuggled from Myanmar into India was being transported from Assam to Uttar Pradesh. In response, surveillance was mounted along National Highway 27 in Gorakhpur. After nearly 12 hours of vigilance, officials intercepted a suspected truck in the early hours of Saturday.
Search and Seizure
During a detailed search, officers found that the truck was carrying 9.42 metric tonnes of bamboo cuts. However, a hidden cavity had been specially built behind the driver’s cabin using welded steel partitions. Inside this concealed compartment, officers recovered 30 cartons containing 3,00,000 sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes of the brand "ESSE Lights Super Slim".
According to DRI, the consignment was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. The driver of the truck has been detained for questioning, and further investigation is underway to identify the masterminds behind the smuggling operation.
Broader Context
With this latest operation, DRI has seized a total of 15,32,000 sticks of smuggled foreign-origin cigarettes worth Rs 2.32 crore in different cases across Uttar Pradesh over the last eight months. This highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to curb the illegal trade of contraband goods in the state.
The seizure underscores the modus operandi employed by smugglers, who often use legitimate cargo as a cover to transport illicit items. The DRI has urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to smuggling to help combat the menace effectively.
