The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ahmedabad zonal unit, on Saturday said it arrested three persons for smuggling foreign-origin cigarettes worth Rs 16.8 crore at Mundra port in Kutch district.
Officials said that based on a tip-off they examined a consignment imported at Mundra port from UAE in a 40-feet container, which had been declared carrying “hotel supplies, bed sheet and pillow cover.” On examination, they found the container stuffed with 84,00,000 sticks of filtered cigarettes of the “BBM Pride Filter Kings” brand. The consignment is said to be worth Rs. 16.8 crores.
"On the basis of enquiry done so far, the DRI has arrested three persons on 06.05.22 in this connection which includes a Managing Director of a Shipping Company running at Gandhidham, and a Partner of Dubai based container line Company; from Gandhidham, and one of their associates from Bangalore, under the Customs Act, 1962," DRI said in a press note.
It said that during an investigation, it was revealed that the consignment was declared for discharge at Mundra "for further transhipment to a fictitious consignee at U. K. and the shipping agent had issued parallel documents to bring the said consignment in India."
The agency said that there is "an active syndicate" behind the smuggling of cigarettes.
(Published 07 May 2022, 14:42 IST)
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