Based on an intelligence, the officers of Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate Delhi, searched and recovered 5,48,800 lakh cigarette sticks of foreign origin worth around Rs. 55.23 lakh, yesterday.

The cigarettes of different brands including, Platinum Seven, Davidoff, Dunhill and Mond have been recovered. The recovered foreign origin cigarettes do not have mandatory pictorial health warning on the packets.

It is suspected that these cigarettes were imported illegally/smuggled into the country, evading Customs Duty and also violated the ‘Cigarettes & other Tobacco Products (Packaging & labelling) amendment Rules, 2022’ and being supplied in the domestic market.

During investigation one accused was arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962 and later released on bail. Further investigation into the matter is in progress.

Illegal import of foreign-origin cigarettes seized for non-compliance with packaging rules and alleged customs duty evasion. Customs preventive officers recovered a large consignment of foreign-origin cigarettes without mandatory pictorial health warnings, suspected of illegal importation and customs duty evasion, in alleged breach of the Cigarettes & other Tobacco Products (Packaging & labelling) Amendment Rules, 2022; one person was arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962 and later released on bail while investigations continue.