DRI seizes e-cigarettes worth Rs 120 crore in massive smuggling bust

The DRI seized 3,00,000 e-cigarettes and vapes worth Rs 120 crore in a major crackdown on a smuggling racket across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, and West Bengal. The prohibited items were sourced from China and concealed in other goods.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 3,00,000 electronic cigarettes and vapes worth Rs 120 crore in a major crackdown on an e-cigarettes (vapes) smuggling racket operating across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, and West Bengal.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the widespread enforcement operations targeted multiple ports, airports, and Inland Container Depots (ICDs) over the last few days to block the illegal import of prohibited nicotine products.

Details of the Operation

The anti-smuggling agency, working under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs, intercepted the incoming supply chains after tracking shipments that local handlers attempted to slip through the customs network. "Acting on specific intelligence, DRI identified, tracked and intercepted multiple suspicious import consignments that were mis-declared to evade customs scrutiny," the Ministry of Finance stated.

The Ministry of Finance confirmed that, "Detailed examination led to the seizure of nearly 3,00,000 electronic cigarettes/vapes of various brands, flavours and specifications valued at more than Rs 120 crore."

Contraband Sourced from China

The Ministry mentioned that tracking the logistical trail of the syndicate established a singular point of origin for all the seized contraband. "These prohibited e-cigarettes were found to be sourced from China in every instance and imported in concealment in the items such as such as "Furniture" and "Metal Chair Parts"," the ministry stated.

E-Cigarettes Banned in India

The government maintains a strict ban on the import and sale of all electronic smoking devices, making any commercial inbound movement of these goods a direct violation of statutory public health laws.

The Ministry of Finance stated that, "Electronic cigarettes and all Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are prohibited in India under the the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019, enacted in the interest of public health and to protect people from harm." (ANI)

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