Chennai, Sep 3 (PTI) Over 5.5 lakh sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes, along with alcohol and e-cigarettes worth Rs 12.5 crore, allegedly smuggled into India, were destroyed here, the Customs department said on Wednesday.

As part of its crackdown on illegal imports, Customs recovered the consignment from neighbouring Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district in August 2025, a press release said.

“The estimated value of the seized contraband was about Rs 12.5 crore, and it has now been destroyed,” Joint Commissioner of Customs Sadeesh Kumar K said.

The seized cigarette packets did not carry the mandatory pictorial health warnings, as required under notifications issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

“These smuggled cigarettes are sold cheaper to consumers as they are brought into the country without payment of mandatory customs duties and Goods and Services Tax (GST),” he added.

Sadeesh Kumar said smuggling syndicates often mislabel such goods as other items. “Since the illegally smuggled cigarettes and other tobacco products did not comply with statutory guidelines and health warnings, the seized items were destroyed in line with Customs rules,” he said. PTI VIJ SSK

Mandatory health warnings violations prompt customs destruction of smuggled tobacco and alcohol seized for duty and tax evasion. Customs destroyed a consignment of foreign-origin cigarettes, alcohol and e-cigarettes seized from Gummidipoondi after determining the items were allegedly smuggled, mislabelled, lacked mandatory pictorial health warnings, and entered the market without payment of customs duties and Goods and Services Tax (GST), with destruction performed under applicable Customs rules for non-compliance.