In a drive against illegal import of Foreign Origin Cigarettes and other contrabands, the Customs Commissionerate, Indore in Bhopal Zone destroyed 40.86 Lakh Sticks of Foreign Origin Cigarettes at Raipur, Chhattisgarh today. Along with cigarettes, 2000 numbers of Foreign Origin Cigar and 557 Boxes of Rolling Paper of Foreign Origin which were smuggled into India were also destroyed.  The estimated value of cigarettes and other contrabands destroyed is about Rs. 3.89 Crores. These goods were smuggled into India in contravention of the provisions of the Indian Customs Act, 1962.

The seized cigarettes, cigars also did not conform to the provisions/conditions laid down under “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008” (as amended). The seized Cigarettes, Cigars and Rolling Papers were also not compliant to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 framed under Legal Metrology Act 2009.

The seized foreign origin cigarettes, cigars and rolling papers of various brands including Paris, Gudang Garam, Dunhill etc. were smuggled into India by resorting to mis-declaration in contravention of the provisions of Customs Act, 1962. 

The contravention of the terms and conditions of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and “Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution Act, 2003 (COTPA, 2003) was also noticed. The seized Foreign Origin Cigarettes packets did not have mandatory pictorial health warning in compliance of Notifications issued time to time by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. As per COTPA Act, 2003, the cigarette packets are required to have, inter alia, mandatory health warning to cover 85% of the principal display area of the package.

These smuggled cigarettes costs cheaper for the consumer as these are usually smuggled into county without payment of Customs duties and GST. The smuggling of Cigarettes and other tobacco products are done to avoid the duty and the compliance with regulations related to the import/ sales of tobacco-related products, the smuggling syndicates often indulge in smuggling of such items in guise of cover cargo or by mis-declaration of goods as some other items.

As, illegally smuggled Cigarettes and other tobacco products are non-compliant of statuary guidelines and warnings the said count of seized goods were disposed of by way of destruction as per prescribed guidelines with the assistance of officers of Central CGST, Raipur in presence of independent witnesses, officers of Customs ICD, Raipur and DRI officials.

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NB/VM/KMN

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