Fake cigarettes from Thailand, Dubai worth around Rs 15 crore seized in Chennai
Officers found that all the cigarettes were fake and had been smuggled illegally from Thailand by mentioning the container consisted of consumables.
Representative image
CHENNAI: In two separate cases, sleuths from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized fake cigarettes worth Rs 15 crore which were smuggled from Dubai and Thailand through ships.
Based on the information that the cigarettes were smuggled into the country in huge quantities, the DRI sleuths were monitoring the Chennai airport and harbour.
On August 8, officers checked the containers that had arrived from Thailand, and found that there were over 67 lakh cigarettes worth Rs 10 crore in the name of an Indian brand. During the investigation, officers found that all the cigarettes were fake and had been smuggled illegally from Thailand by mentioning the container consisted of consumables.
In another incident, on August 14, the DRI who checked the containers that had arrived from Dubai, found over 30 lakh duplicate cigarettes worth Rs 5 crore that had been smuggled into the country.
Two separate cases have been registered for false declaration, smuggling of fake products and duty violation.
Further investigation is on to nab the key persons behind the racket.